Zero Waste towards Swachh Bharat

An exhibition on Sanitation and Zero Waste Management completed a successful run here at Titanic Park Gangtok on Friday, 31 October. The exhibition, organised by the Rural Management & Development Department under the Swachh Bharat Mission saw the participation of various NGOs, SHGs, students and individuals.
A stall has been put up by the Zero Waste Himalayas which promotes management of waste on the concept of zero waste. Various waste related data of Sikkim and the harm they are causing, with solution as to what can be done is displayed though posters and charts.
Another stall by Khangchendzonga Conservation Committee, Yuksam, a leading NGO working on Zero Waste, has come up with various products made out of waste and also hands on demonstration on making various product out of waste such as making bags out of old T-shirts, pens of discarded magazines etc. Similarly products made out of waste by SHGs, students and individuals are displayed.
Omi Gurung, a well known designer of products made out of waste, has also put up a stall.
In addition to the above, various other activities such as display of videos on zero waste and sanitation, skits and song performances by students, cleanathaon by students and NGOs are being organized.
Students of Deorali Girls Senior Secondary School Eco-Club organised cleanathon at MG Marg upto Namnang and Tharo Line upto Denzong Cinema on 29 October. The feat was again repeated on 30 October as MG Marg was again found littered with remains of firecrackers which formed part of Chhat Puja celebrations the previous night.
Spot-fixing which is essentially a mob cleaning of a dirty spot also called the “dark spot” was organized at NamNang view point and was participated by NGOs like Subha Laxmi Social Organisation, Arithang Mahila Kalyankari Sangh, Deorali Samaj Kalyan Sangh, Dichen Choling Gumpa etc.
Spot fixing was also conducted on 30 October at Lall Bazaar by Deorali Samaj Kalyan Sangh. The objective is to involve the various social organisations towards Swachh Bharat Mission.
It may be mentioned here that after attaining Nirmal Rajya status in the year 2008, the RM&DD has been focussing on waste management and has taken various initiatives to address the issue of waste management in the rural areas and adopted the concept of Zero Waste Management which is most suited in the context of Sikkim. The Department has been providing various trainings, awareness etc on zero waste along with other likeminded groups and NGOs as a result of which many activities have been happening around the state. This exhibition was an effort by the Department to consolidate these efforts and trigger an exchange of ideas among the various stakeholders and generate awareness among the lay people and also to encourage people and SHGs to adopt waste-to-resource as a commercially viable activity.
[from Satyen Pradhan, Deputy Secretary (Sanitation), RM&DD]