Gamharia village in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district has become plastic and garbage free. Earlier, it was declared an Open Defecation Free (ODF) village.
This has been made possible through ‘Safai Mitra’, the women of Suraj Self-Help Group in Gamharia who go door-to-door to collect garbage. Villagers now call them respectfully as 'Swachchta Didi', an official communication said on Tuesday.
The group has made garbage disposal and waste management an additional source of earning. In the last one year, they earned Rs 63,000.
Gamharia Sarpanch William Kujur said the Segregation Shed (Solid and Liquid Waste Management Center) was built in the village. Funds were provided from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural).
Solid waste such as polythene, packing wrappers of food items, plastic items, iron scrap and glass are sold after segregation, said Sunita Kujur, secretary of the SHG. She said 12 women have been working for the group since July 2020.
The group collects Rs 10 a month from each household and Rs 20 each from shopkeepers for the garbage collection.
