From Shailja Kishore, Total Sanitation Campaign, Ahmedabad
Posted 1 October 2009
I work for the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC). Under this campaign, we are looking for various safe disposal mechanisms for solid waste that can be replicated at the community level in the rural areas of Gujarat. The focus is on sustainable and economically viable options which can be operated and maintained by the local communities.
Some of the major challenges in the management of solid waste in these areas are: handling the large volume of waste; grabbing public land in the guise of Ukedas (cow dung heaps); the inability of panchayats to take action against the strongmen; shortage of water during the summer, especially in areas where the sewage systems do not work and; collection of service charges for supplying drinking water by the panchayats.
In this context I would like members of the community to share experiences of instances where solid waste has been safely disposed and used as a resource for:
- Employment generation activities for different groups by providing livelihood options
- Educating communities, especially children and women on the 3Rs - reduce, recycle and re-use
- Increasing productivity, thereby leading to better nutrition and living conditions
The information will help us in identifying a range of options for implementing similar activities in the rural areas of Gujarat.
Please see attachment below for the responses.