A noble initiative started in Kotdwar city of Uttarakhand is not only contributing to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan but is also setting an example for others. Ram Prakash Sharma , a resident of Kotdwar, thought of a useful and different way to utilise kitchen waste and keep the city clean. He started collecting kitchen waste and feeding it to cows.
Impressed by this initiative of Ram Prakash Sharma, the Nagar Palika of Kotdwar has appointed him brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan there.
The initiative, which was started in July 2016, has helped in disposing 102 metric tonnes of kitchen waste so far, said Sharma, who has been working silently away from the media glare.
However, finally his work caught the attention of the Nagar Palika which nominated him its brand ambassador for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. He was given a souvenir in recognition of his efforts by Uttarakhand minister Harak Singh Rawat.
“For me the satisfaction to work for society is immense,” said Sharma, adding that he would like to continue contributing to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan of the PM in his own small way.
At present, two rickshaws move around in the city to collect gowgrass (cattlefeed) from each and every household. This is the kitchen waste which includes vegetable and fruit peels as well as chapatis and other leftover food items. People also give specially made food for cows, said Sharma, adding that earlier this kitchen waste used to go with the other household waste.
” We used to have a system of feeding cows but with the changing times and non-availability of cows it stopped gradually, ” he said. Through this initiative people who want to feed cows are now able to do it easily, he added. Each of the two rickshaw covers 500 households and then the food collected is given to the cows in a city goshala (cow shelter).
People now wait for the rickshaw and enquire if it is late or is not able to collect waste due to some emergency, said Sharma, who is bearing the entire expense of the project on his own.” The cost includes that of buying two rickshaws and giving monthly salary to those who go on collection rounds in these rickshaws,” he said. Appreciating his efforts people have started offering help to him. “I don’t want to accept money from anyone but will definitely see how this help could be taken,” said Sharma.