Gold Coin For Plastic Waste! Know About This Kashmir Village's Unique Clean-Up Mission

Sadiwara, a village in Jammu and Kashmir, has set an example by living up to the idea that "One man's trash is another's treasure." Saving the environment 20 quintals a time, the village headman Farooq Ahmad Ganaie brought in a unique initiative to ensure their environment stays clean and plastic-free.

For every 20 quintals of polythene waste brought to the panchayat, the village head offers one gold coin in return. Needless to say, the clean-up mission picked pace soon and had villagers coming together to collect household plastic waste and prevent it from being dumped into the fields and water bodies.

Cleaner Spaces For Villagers

Farooq noted that while there is a lot of focus and emphasis on cleanliness from the government and state administrations, the mission can only be truly achieved if the citizens also contribute their bit. An environmentalist himself, Farooq started advocating for cleaner spaces by convincing the villagers to build garbage pits in their houses rather than dispose of solid waste.

Farooq strongly believes that "if we do not pay attention to cleanliness, you won't find any clean source of water or fertile land in the next ten years." The message reached the crowds, and also helped them understand a larger concern - the accumulating plastic waste. The polythene remained a concern as it does not decompose even in garbage pits. It was around this time that an idea struck Farooq, and he brought in the policy that said, "A Gold coin to those who bring us 20 quintals of polythene."

Anantnag Sets A Green Example

Soon enough, the idea spread and it will soon be replicated across villages in Anantnag. Talking about the waste collection and reward system, he stated that those who bring less than 20 quintals would not have to go empty-handed either. They would also be suitably rewarded with a silver coin or other options. Within a year's time, the project transformed the village entirely. A report by NDTV quoted Mohsin Amin, a Youth Club volunteer saying, "Earlier, there was polythene strewn on the roads, but that's not the case now."

Speaking praises of the initiative, Assistant Commissioner Development of Anantnag, Riyaz Ahmad Shah, conveyed that the system will soon translate to all panchayats of the district. Talks about incentivising the model are ongoing, and they hope to see each village turn garbage-free and polythene-free through its implementation. He also conveyed that efforts have been dedicated toward solid waste management across the district.They have been conducting door-to-door waste collection, providing community and household dustbins, and constructing compost pits and soakage pits, among many others.

Also Read: India's Plastic Menace! Only 30% Of India's 3.4 Million Tonnes Of Annual Plastic Waste Is Recycled, Report