When Plastic Soudha turns a dustbin..

Mangalore, October 31: When Total Sanitation Campaign picked up in Dakshina Kannada district, all the gram panchayats plunged into making the campaign success by winning the award at the national-level and many Gram Panchayats decided to construct plastic soudha to dump the plastic covers and to give way for its re use or use it for productive purpose like laying of roads.

The district had come out with several models related to cleanliness and had also won several awards at the State and national-level. Unfortunately, plastic soudha is not serving the purpose for which it was constructed in many places. It is observed that in most of the GPs, the activities on the lines of total sanitation have died down after the awards came. The passiveness in the villagers which had once became active due to the campaign only point at the fact that the enthusiastic activities were all temporary and lacked vision.

Here is a classic example for lack of use of plastic soudha at Asaigoli in Konaje Gram Panchayat.

The Gram Panchayat had won Nirmal Gram Puraskar from the President of India few years ago. However, the surrounding of the platsic soudha speaks otherwise.

“The plastic soudha should be utilised effectievly for dumping the plastic covers. However, in Asaigoli, the Soudha is used for dumping the plastic covers filled with waste. The plastic bags containing all types of waste stuffed in them tightly closed are dumped outside the soudha.

This is the most unscientific manner to dispose the plastic. The Panchayat authorities should dispose the plastic from the soudha atleast once in a week. There is a need to create awareness among the locals on the use of plastic soudha and request them not to throw the waste filled with plastic around the Soudha,” said Dr B K Sarojini, a resident of Asaigoli.

Another shopkeeper said “plastic has littered everywhere including our tourist places, water bodies and drains. We have created a culture, which is perpetually dependent on plastic. Normally, the thrown plastic flies high and gets stuck in an ugly form even on trees and bushes.”

Another rickshaw driver said that it is the responsibility of the Gram Panchayat to clear the waste dumped outside the Plastic Soudha.

Jana Shikshana Trust Director Sheena Shetty said “the plastic soudha was constructed to dump the plastic covers and reuse the plastic. It should have been a plastic control centre. Unfortunately, it is not used effectively for the purpose which it should have been used. Many of the Plastic Soudhas are not serving the purpose for which it was constructed. There is no one to maintain the soudha. Without the basic concept, many Gram Panchayats have constructed the soudha.”

“The Soudha has become new form of dustbin. Instead of constructing plastic soudha, the waste should be segregated at the source and the individual houses and shops should maintain it. There is a need to educate the public on reuse of plastic. Before the construction of plastic soudha at Asaigoli, no wastes were dumped at the place where soudha has come up.”