Waste is a national and global challenge. While the developed nations grapple with their own set of waste challenges, closer back home in India we have our own set of issues. The Swachh Bharat Mission is a welcome initiative from the government but with several hits and misses, there still remains a lot of work in action as well in the pipeline.

Amongst the monumental waste challenge, one clear and basic issue is that of awareness. Large numbers of both well heeled and socially active individuals as well as institutions are literally clueless about the waste strategy at play. It is in this scenario and against this background that we at SDC Foundation are making efforts in our state of Uttarakhand to spread knowledge as well as motivation about waste and the opportunities that it offers.

So, this is from this week. Together, we – along with the Himalayan Jan Kalyan team from Haldwani – hosted an interactive citizen workshop on the above subject. Participants from across the state were in attendance. Charged and inspired, the plan is to carry this momentum and take this forward to the other cities in the state. Hoping that we see some outcomes with such efforts!