In the scenic village of Sadiwara, South Kashmir, Sarpanch Farooq Ahmed Ganai leads a groundbreaking initiative – “Plastic do Sona lo” (Give plastic and take gold). The campaign fights plastic pollution and fosters a cleaner environment.
Ganai’s brainchild incentivizes villagers to collect plastic waste by offering a gold coin to anyone who deposits 2.5 quintals. The idea has been so successful that Sadiwara was officially declared plastic-free in January. Ganai’s wife, Shabnam Farooq, even sponsored the first gold coin from her mehr (a sum of money received by Muslim wives after marriage).
The initiative has garnered attention within the region and beyond its borders. Inspired by the success of Sadiwara’s campaign, the government of Telangana has adopted a similar scheme, offering silver coins in exchange for plastic waste. The campaign has profoundly impacted the villagers, who have joined in freeing the land from plastic waste. Ganai urged people to create home garbage pits for proper solid waste disposal, enhancing the impact.
For a detailed story, please visit: Awaz the voice
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