Plastic waste managements units coming up in Sirsa villages

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, plastic waste management units are being set up in villages across six blocks in Sirsa district to manage the growing problem of plastic waste in the rural areas.

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So far, four blocks have completed the selection of villages where these units will be established. These include Kharia village in Rania block, Rasulpur in Sirsa block, Panniwala Mota in Odhan block and Ganga village in Dabwali block. The selection process is still underway for two remaining blocks Nathusari Chopta and Ellenabad and will be completed soon.

Once these units are ready, they will be operated by women from local self-help groups. To support daily waste collection, dustbins will be installed outside each house in the village. A private agency will be hired to collect waste regularly. The collected plastic will be processed into plastic pellets, which will be supplied to the PWD for use in road construction.

Officials, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural)

Work on the units has already started in two villages. In Kharia, the construction of the plastic waste management unit is in its final stage, with only the installation of machinery remaining. In Rasulpur, the work began nearly four months ago, but stopped after building a shed. The construction has now resumed with work on the boundary wall. In the other two selected villages, the tendering process is at present going on to begin construction soon.

According to officials of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), once these units are ready, they will be operated by women from local self-help groups. These women have already received training in Nilokheri, Karnal. To support daily waste collection, dustbins will be installed outside each house in village. A private agency will be hired to collect waste regularly. The collected plastic will be processed into plastic pellets, which will then be supplied to the Public Works Department (PWD) for use in road construction. According to officials, 20 per cent of the material used in new roads will consist of these recycled plastic pellets.

As per a government survey, each rural household produces around 2.5 kilograms of plastic waste every year. By recycling this plastic and using it for infrastructure, the initiative not only aims to reduce pollution, but also supports sustainable development.

Kharia village sarpanch Maya Devi shared that their village had a population of around 11,000 people and over 80 per cent of the unit’s construction work had been completed. She said, “Soon, dustbins will be placed at every major street corner, and he trained women from the village’s self-help group will take charge of managing the unit.”

Sukhwinder Singh, who is in charge of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) in Sirsa, confirmed that the project was progressing steadily. “With four blocks already having selected villages and work underway, the district is moving closer to effective plastic waste management at the village level,” he said.