Around seven years ago, two city activists, Shefali Dudhabade and her friend Anasuya Kale Chhabrani, in their bit to contribute to society, began finding ways to wipe out the tonnes of garbage menace being generated all around them in Nagpur.
They decided to put their house in order before looking after the world. The duo launched an NGO, Swacch Association, and were joined by six others in their fight against environmental pollution.
“We started with our homes and housing societies, taking simple steps like containing the food waste within the premises,” says Chhabrani.
Soon, the word spread and more joined the cause. Today, NGO Swacch, having nearly 100 members under its fold, has been holding presentations, demonstrations and campaigns to eradicate use of plastic bags, promote disposal of bio-medical and e-waste, and make leftover food a revenue model.
“Eighty per cent of the garbage generated at homes can be disposed of at source. We installed two tumblers and one compost container in Anasuya’s housing society in Civil Lines.
No food waste is dumped anymore. It is processed in the bins and can be used as organic fertilizer. Dry leaves are not burned anymore,” Dudhabade says. The NGO aims to minimize load on landfills by sensitizing masses on giving up the habit of dumping waste outside their homes.
Segregation of dry and wet garbage is another challenge that drew the NGO’s attention so they decided to liaison with organizations and entrepreneurs who process plastic and non-biodegradable substances. “This way people get monetary benefits too from waste generated at homes because the scrap dealers may not give the right value for the materials.”
Reference- Times of India, www.nagpurheroes.com