Keep your locality plastic-free

The trend to pick up plastic waste is spreading fast among the city youth. Plastic waste, discarded everywhere and anywhere is an eyesore to the eyes.

“It saddens me to see the nullahs of localities surrounding Committee Chowk covered in garbage and plastic waste. I get shocked to see garbage littering streets and no one caring about it. I thought of picking up plastic waste on my own. It is good exercise too while giving an opportunity to help keep our locality clean,” says Baseer Ali.

“Waste management is one of the biggest issues Raja Bazaar is currently facing, which is accepted by the local civic bodies as well. But the responsibility to solve this problem does not lie with the city authorities only but also with citizens, who should be responsible for disposing of waste in the right way,” says Safdar Hussain.

“We realized the importance of segregation and of removing plastic out of the domestic waste during the flash floods when water entered our homes in Dhoke Hassu, where drainages were blocked due to plastic bottles and packets. Now we are on a mission to address this issue and involve city residents to fight the growing plastic menace,” say the Zulfiqar Jafari brothers.

“Garbage keeps on getting accumulated in Waris Khan and with less manpower with the Solid Waste Management team, plastic bags, snack packets, and wrappers could be seen strewn on the streets,” says Mazhar Hasan.

“Our resolution is to create a plastic-free environment in Dhoke Chiragdin by planting trees in our locality. However, plastic waste has proved to be a big hurdle in this plan since a lot of trash plagues all areas we found suitable for plantations. This is a small effort from our dedicated team members who clean up trash at these locations as well as tackle household plastic waste,” says Wajid Zaidi.

“It is important to have safety gear, gloves and hand sanitizer, and eco-friendly trash bags. We want to create awareness and involve more of our friends, families, or even strangers,” adds Wajid.

“When I observe the Raja Sultan area, which I love getting degraded due to increased human intervention I feel deeply about it. With the passage of time, I saw more waste. My personal connection with the area urged me to take action and encourage the people living there to preserve the beauty of the place,” says Shams-ul-Hasan.

“When I noticed how a few youths were able to create a change in the mindset of the people around them, so I was inspired to influence people in my own locality too, “says Rafiq Haider of Tele Mohallah.

“It’s a campaign to shame people who litter the streets. The drive has since covered other areas. Some might even change their habit. Maybe not such a forlorn hope,” adds Rafiq.