Located in Ganjam district, Chamakhandi Gram Panchayat falls under Chatrapur block. It is located around 7-8 km from the district headquarters in Chatrapur. A total of 1054 households are located in the Gram Panchayat. Prior to the Solid Waste Management intervention, the situation in Chamakhandi Gram Panchayat was critical. Vacant land or roads were used to dispose of garbage or to burn it. There was a bad odour emanating from the decomposing waste that created an unpleasant environment for the residents. Moreover, people living nearby used to suffer from health ailments like fever, cough, diarrhoea, etc. due to flies & stench caused by accumulated wastes. Solid wastes accumulated near the drainage pipes clogged the outlets as well. People were unaware of the importance of solid waste management, segregation of waste or the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The Ganjam District Administration established the Rural Mini Micro Composting Centre & Material Recovery Facility to manage solid waste generated in rural areas under the tagline “Mo Swabhimaan Swachh Ganjam”. The Gram Panchayat administration has provided each household with two dustbins to store wet and dry waste separately. The youths of the village along with community members joined hands together to make the villagers aware about the hazardous effects of solid waste & also raised awareness on segregation of waste in a proper manner. They urged the villagers not to mix the waste & dispose it off in separate bins.
“Prior to BOV coming to our village, we used to throw our household waste into the open. It often led to bad odours and flies, which would negatively impact the health of my family members. We urged people to segregate their wastes at home and dispose them in separate bins. As a result, the environment is kept clean, and the health of my family is not compromised”, says Basanti Sahu, a youth of Chamakhandi village.
Anwesa Dutta
(Anwesa Dutta is an alumnus of St. Xavier’s and TISS and has previously worked with UNICEF in Kolkata. Currently, Anwesa is a WASH Consultant at UNICEF India. She is passionate about wildlife photography, creative writing, and baking.)
