2013
CELEBRATING 5 YEARS
2018
PROGRESS REPORT CORBETT PROJECT May to December 2018 Waste Warriors is registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 (India) - Number 243/2012-2013 Registered Address: 24 Pritam Road, Dalanwala, Dehradun, 248001 www.wastewarriors.org
THANKING all our Funder & Supporters
SBI Foundation, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts Pvt Ltd, SOS Organics, ATOAI, Royal Expeditions, Avisfera Adventures, Clover Organics, Sud Chemie India Pvt Ltd, Thapar Public Charitable Trust, Tiger Conservation FoundationUttarakhand Forest Department, Vanghat River Lodge, Central Himalayan Environment Association , The Himalayan Outback, Alternate Atlas, Manttra, Madhyant Associates , Resq Charitable Trust, TOFTigers, WWF Terai Arc (Haldwani), Gemalto, Travel Scope, Tesnatech, Nature Safari, Terra Incognita Ecotours, Endless Earth Inc, Jim’s Jungle Retreat, Ashoka University Sonipat , Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development , Edu Journeys, Uttarakhand Forest Department, Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board , Community members (including households, shops & schools) of Kyari, Ringora, Baluli, Bandran/ Amori, Garjia, Dhikuli, Mohan, Bhakrakot, Marchula , Gebua Nandpur, Gebua Madanpur and Gebua Khempur villages (around the Corbett Landscape for user fee contribution towards regular door to door waste collection). We deeply appreciate and thank all the Individuals who have supported the cause: Anand Mahindra, Ashwin Johari, Anangaraj Sakia, Chetan Mehrotra, Conan Dumenil, Col. K Sood, Col. Anil Kochar, Dheeraj and Amrita Singh, Disha Shekhar, Gaurav Kholia, Geeta Bhatnagar, Gitanjali Roy, Gulab Singh, Hashim Tyabji, Harsha J, Jatin Tyagi, Joydeep Sarkar, Joyjit Ghosh, Kasturi Kabiraj & Nilanjan Coomar, Lalitha Krishnan, Lekha Nair, Madhushree Nanda, Marc Hildreth, Monisha Krishna, Namrata Yadav & Nishant Beniwal, Neha Dixit, P.N.NarayanSwamy, Pankaj Behl, Payal Mehta, Ritish Suri, RWA Prakash City Kashipur, Reet Hazarika, Ruchika & Akshay Chuttar, Shashikant Raheja, Shoba Mohan, Shoba Chaddha, Tara & Dr MC Pandey and Varsha Bhatia.
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India now generates over 1.45 metric tonnes, that is 1,45,626,000 kgs, of municipal solid waste every day. Source www.indiaenvironmentportal.org as on 1st Jan 2018. This equals
Weight of ALMOST 27000 Asiatic Elephants!!!!
each (male) weighing approximately 5400 kgs, each day!! This is almost the same as the total number of Asian Elephants in India (estimated to be about 26,000 to 28,000, as per 2011 report by IUCN https://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/2012/35-47-Baskaran.pd) Evidently, it is a huge amount and, unfortunately due to a lack of proper municipal services and awareness, a lot of that waste does not get segregated or collected. Instead it gets littered, illegally dumped and, even worse, burned to ashes. All this waste produces huge amounts of potentially toxic microplastics, leachate, and fumes which are unhealthy for all life in our fragile environment, including us. All of us have been and continue to be witness to and unassuming victims of this mismanagement on a daily basis, whether it is in urban streets, in rural areas, or now unfortunately even in otherwise beautiful places: on mountain trails, in dense forests, by the banks of rivers, and over large fields. The urgent need to act
against this human-made disaster is the driving force behind our organization. It is why we need to raise levels of public awareness towards better solid waste management practices in both urban and rural landscapes across India.
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India’s Waste Crisis
PER PERSON
RURAL WASTE Out of 1.21 billion Indians , 83.3 million live in rural areas generating :
.36 Kg to .5 Kg
EVERY
DAY 0.3 to 0.4 million metric tonne YEAR 3.6 to 4.8 million metric tonne
*Source:Solid Waste Management in Rural Areas A Step-by-Step Guide for Gram Panchayats & 70% Indians live in rural areas: Census by Business Standard
At the current rate, rural INDIA will need a 100 acres of land X 1m high everyday. That is , about 12% of Corbett Tiger Reserve, EACH YEAR!!
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Our Vision ●
A clean and healthy India, which has systems in place to ensure that every citizen disposes their waste correctly and feels a sense of civic responsibility and national pride regarding cleanliness.
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A healthier India with improved living standards and a better quality of life where waste workers are valued and respected for their contribution.
Our Mission ●
Be
a
catalyst
for
community-based
decentralized
Solid
Waste
Management (SWM) initiatives in rural, urban, and protected areas and to pioneer replicable models of resource management, innovative practices, research and education in the field of solid waste management. ●
Improve working conditions for waste workers and take positive steps towards integrating the unorganized waste sector into the formal Solid Waste Management (SWM) industry whilst reducing the stigma attached to waste.
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About Waste Warriors Corbett Project The Project around Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand State), was initiated in 2013, by Minakshi Pandey, a resident of the area, in partnership with Waste Warriors Society, to introduce a system of Solid Waste Management (SWM) in an area stretching across 100 kms and about 150 villages in and around the Corbett Landscape, where no system existed
before
the
intervention.
OUR GOALS Catalysing effective, efficient, and sustainable solid waste management solutions around national parks and other protected areas in India by: 1) Awareness-raising for community members, including schools, homes, shops, government departments, hotels and other tourism outfits and human dwellings. 2) Providing a sustainable solid waste management system to every member in the community. 3) Improving living standards for all beneficiaries. 4) Increasing livelihood options for all stakeholders.
Door to door waste collection in Dhikuli Village by members of local selfhelp groups
Transformation at Chota Bheem Maggie Point, Sunderkhal Village
Clean up at Ringora Village with members of local self-help groups & other community members
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About Waste Warriors Corbett Project OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Since the Project was initiated, in October 2013, it has spread to 48 rural locations in Panchayat and Forest areas around the Corbett Landscape, including 3000 community members in villages with households, shops, 79 schools with 9000 students, temples, restaurants, hotels, offices, forest and police check posts as well as staff quarters. Furthermore, over the last year, with support from SBI Foundation and the hard work put in by the Waste Warriors team. 12 of these villages are contributing a monthly user fee and co-funding a system of SWM for their homes and locality. The work is monitored and mentored by the Waste Warriors Corbett team and executed on field, by members of local self-help groups, to eventually be self-dependant & manage entirely on their own with the local village authorities. . For more information, please view:
Website: www.wastewarriors.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/wastewarriors3 Watch a video on our work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI9r5vmnYbI Read our publications: http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/
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Project Progress (May-December 2019) The Waste Warriors team, has been in regular contact with local authorities and community members, and conducted regular awareness programs and meeting with adults and children, and convinced community members in 12 villages (Kyari , Ringora , Baluli, Bandran & Amori , Dhikuli & Garjia ,Mohan, Marchula, Bhakrakot , Gebua Nandpur, Gebua Madanpur and Gebua Khempur spread across Nainital & Almora Districts) to participate and contribute a monthly user fee to restart regular door-to-door waste collection for long-term sustainability of the cleanliness of their village. To empower community members, all the field work is managed by local self help groups (SHGs) with ongoing training, mentoring and monitoring by the Waste Warriors team. Following were the activities carried out during the course of time: Awareness-Raising and Education Training and Implementing Solid Waste Management systems Improving Living Standards & Increasing Livelihood Options Research & Outreach Impact Monitoring
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Awareness Raising and Education 71 ‘Children’s Days’, our signature awareness programs, for more than 2604 students in 78 member schools 15 Adult Awareness and training programs with 145 participants to spread awareness on Solid Waste Management
44 Signboards & 3 Metal Dustbins, earlier installed, were maintenanced, repaired & repainted in 26 different member locations for Awareness Raising & creating public Waste centers for anyone to deposit solid waste, respectively.
5 new transformations completed in Mohan Police chowki, Ringora Primary school, Kunkhet School Library, Chota Bheem Maggie point in Sunderkhal village and Bhakrakot Bus Stop and continued to maintain the earlier sites, totalling 10 transformation sites by the end of December 2018
Continued bi-monthly clean-ups with community members to ensure the cleanliness of forest periphery and villages and to bring in a sense of public ownership & civic pride amongst all the beneficiaries. 54 clean-ups were done in this period with 989 participants. We collected and processed 2454 kg of waste.
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Awareness Raising and Education Created awareness at large public gatherings to spread the message of sustainable Solid Waste Management. The team regularly participates in local events and functions to create mass awareness.
Created and shared awareness publications on various aspects of our work both in English and Hindi.
Regular updates about the work are being shared via letters, on our village WhatsApp groups, social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and the Waste Warriors website.
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Training and Implementing Solid Waste Management systems ➔ 12 villages with *405 members (315 households and 90 shops) have a
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sustainable solid waste management (SWM) system co-funded by SBI Foundation and a monthly user fee contribution of Rs.30 per member. *50% of the total village strength. Remaining 50% continue to be convinced to participate for their own health and safety. Provided 78 schools with training on solid waste management and a regular/monthly waste collection system to 71 schools spread across 40 locations, through SHG members. 5 schools have started managing their waste with assistance from their local Nagar Palika. Created & regularly maintained 8 waste centres for anyone in the Corbett Landscape to deposit their segregated waste at different location (some on on set dates) thereby enabling the community to have solutions for their waste and be involved in the cleanliness of the region. Total 15,609 kg of dry waste was collected from regular door-to-door waste collection from households, shops, schools, clean-up drives and waste centres. Additionally, 1108 kg of wet waste was collected from villages and the food waste centre. Continued working with many new partners, in many new locations, to spread knowledge, train & initiate SWM systems for places like, Nail village via Sanjeevani Trust in Almora, field locations for Corbett Tiger Reserve via Uttarakhand Forest Dept, Prakash City in Kashipur via RWA Prakash City, Kanya, Dhela, Dotiyal & Patkot villages via the Gram Panchayats & community members, and Ashoka University & O P S Jindal University in Sonipat via the college administration. In Dhela village, the hotel community are keen to get involved and help get a system of SWM for their community members. Hotels (around CTR) visited and staff training done for initiating SWM systems. The Himalayan Outback, Lebua Saraca Estate, Corbett Riverside Resort, Patlidun Safari Lodge, Pagoda’s Manu Maharani Corbett Resort, The Golden Tusk Resort, Jim’s Jungle Retreat, Iris Resort, Maulik Mansion Resort, The Safari Cafe, Corbett Woods, Corbett View Resort, Parwati Wild Abode Corbett Resort, Corbett Ashoka Tiger Trail Resort, KMVN Tourist Rest HouseDhela, Corbett Solitaire, and 10 Forest Rest Houses within CTR.
Training session at Prakash City , Kashipur 11
Improving Living Standards & Increasing Livelihood Options
➔
The Waste Warriors Corbett Project has initiated a process and created systems of Solid Waste Management in rural, forested areas where no local authority has yet tried to address the growing problem. ➔ The team continues to maintain 185 dustbins (including 37 for food waste) donated to member schools. ➔ Continue to maintain 40 water filters, earlier donated, to our member schools to improve the quality of drinking water for the children & teachers. ➔ Regular in-house training for our team of 10 employees and 10 SHG members, working 6 days a week, to keep motivating & familiarising them with the work of spreading awareness & implementing rural SWM. ➔ Since Oct 2013, the Corbett Project has provided employment opportunity to over 150 people from the local community. Over 90% of the people employed are locals. ➔ Generation of income by working with the local community through employment of members of local SHGs for waste collection, sale of recyclables, compost and upcycled items, hiring store rooms for collected waste and vehicles for waste transfer from the village community.
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Research & Outreach
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Research to create decentralised processing centers for complete solutions, for all solid waste generated in Rural locations. Working with Gram Panchayats and Swajal Dept. at Block and District levels for Nainital and Almora Districts to implement SWM at member locations through government schemes. 36 village meetings conducted, and 86 letters sent for collection of user fee and/or initiating SWM systems with Gram Pradhan, key village members, Forest Dept and other local government bodies. Conducted 19 meetings for Research and Outreach with Forest and other government depts., other private establishments for co-funding, and liaising and with local scrap dealers to find a sustainable solution for all the recyclables. Waste Warriors has been selected by Swajal Nainital and Swajal Almora for Swachh Survekshan Gramin 2018. A meeting with respect to this was attended in Bhimtal for Nainital District and in Almora town for Almora District by the Waste Warriors team where we discussed the agreement (for implementing rural SWM) and made suggestions to improve the methodology as suggested in the Swajal Scheme. Letters to this effect have also been shared with both Swajal, Almora and Nainital District, Uttarakhand and a detailed project report is being prepared for 2 member villages in Nainital District. After many years of trying, Waste Warriors Corbett Project’s, Initiator & Advisor, Minakshi Pandey, has been selected as member of the Eco Development Committee (EDC) formed by authorities of Corbett Tiger Reserve to implement SWM systems for forest locations within Corbett Tiger Reserve via funds generated through tourist jeeps visiting Corbett Tiger Reserve. While the forest department shows little interest in the matter, the team has been regularly visiting the Director & Deputy Director of CTR in the hope that a regular systems of waste collection, will be implemented soon.
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Impact Monitoring
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Created WhatsApp groups for individual villages where waste collection has restarted to connect with the community members for a better feedback and monitoring system. For the first time, since inception and after working in the field of rural SWM for 5 years, the team conducted an impact study on the Waste Warriors Corbett Project through surveys, interviews and focus group discussions.
OUR BENEFICIARIES 5,00,000 and above. Community members in villages around the Corbett Landscape including households, schools, teachers, students, shop/ dhaba owners and workers, registered drivers and guides of CTR, hotel owners, hotel staff, local and international tourists visiting Corbett Tiger Reserve, forest staff and other government departments.
IMPLEMENTATION OF SWM SYSTEM 12 Villages with 405 members (315 households AND 90 shops) have a sustainable Solid Waste Management system co-funded by SBI foundation and a monthly user fee contribution of Rs 30 per member.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT From October 2013 to December 2018, the team has collected and sustainably processed approximately 3,77,295 kgs of solid waste which would still be lying around, affecting human lives and the silent beings around Corbett Tiger Reserve, had the team had not created awareness & initiated Solid Waste Management systems for these area.
LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITY The creation of Self Help Groups is the perfect example of Sustainability: A group of women are given the opportunity to learn new skills, and earn an income while tackling a problem that is detrimental to our natural environment if left unaddressed.Additionally, opportunity created for room rental & vehicle hire from community members.
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5 YEARS CELEBRATION
Waste Warriors Corbett Project completed 5 years of operations in October 2018, during which time the team, worked with all the stakeholders in the area, providing systems of regular door to door waste collection, education, awareness and training workshops on sustainable solid waste management. The hands-on team, implements all the activities and projects, hand holding each stakeholder when required to follow through to achieving their goal. Since Oct 2013, the Corbett Project has spread to 48 rural locations & provided employment to over 150 people from the local community.
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Our Opportunities Before our intervention, common practice in the area was to burn waste or dump it on open forest land or in river beds. Improper handling of solid waste, indiscriminate dumping and disposal of waste, and the social stigma attached to dealing and working with waste, has resulted in solid waste becoming a serious issue. The long-term effects of this include massive air, water and land pollution, adversely impacting wildlife, aquatic life and human habitats, as well as raising health risks and diseases. Open garbage dumps also attract wildlife and increase chances of human-wildlife conflicts apart from seriously injuring the wild animal. After 5 years of our presence in the Corbett Landscape we saw these as areas of opportunity for us to implement a public engagement and policy advocacy program.
● Convincing members to pay the user fee ● Limitations in hiring skilled manpower ● Beneficiaries lack understanding of waste as an issue
● Lack of involvement & initiative from relevant Government authorities, Tourism outfits and Political representatives Solutions and Learnings 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Address the lack of interest from Government and other authorities by continuing efforts to reach out and maintain relationships as well as continue awareness sessions through use of in-house, developed presentations and communication materials. Eventually the actual work of door to door waste collection must be supported by the Gram Pradhan/ Forest Authorities, through Rural Development schemes like SWAJAL, MANREGA, Tourism or Forest Dept or similar, and co-funded by the community members, for long term sustainability of the SWM system for their location. Repeated meetings, door-to-door visits, phone call, letters are being made to convince the village members to participate & contribute the user fee on time and coax those not participating to contribute & become part of the regular door to door waste collection system. Increase salary offerings to recruit manpower of required competencies especially for training, reporting and documentation roles. Suitable work environment and perks such as guest house, lunch services, access to two wheelers for local commute, etc also need to be provided to encourage outstation individuals to work at the remote and wild, project location. Continue regular clean-ups with all stakeholders, to prevent accumulation of large amounts of waste during busy tourist weekends & the runoff from the mountains in the north, during the monsoons months. Continue to maintain and implement the yearly calendar of activities with schools to maximum time utilisation without interfering with the school schedule of exams and holidays.
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Waste Warriors Corbett Project Way forward
Waste Warriors continues to add to the achievements of previous years, especially 2017-18, where community members in 12 villages were convinced & started contributing a monthly user fee for regular door to door waste collection through local self-help groups. In the coming year, we hope to, not only, convince more village members to participate and take the number of villages with a system of SWM up to 20, but also, alongside work with the Panchayat & Forest Dept, authorities to take on the entire responsibility of village SWM with co-funding from user fee & funds from various relevant government schemes. The aim of cleaning the Corbett Landscape and the 100+ villages along its periphery and the once pristine forests, remains. By continuing & maximising awareness raising & training and ensuring everyone has a long-term solution for Solid Waste Management, so man & animals are protected from disease & pollution, today and in the years to come.
*Annexure 1: Waste Warriors Corbett Revenue and Expense analysis (May December 2018)
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Way forward
Waste Warriors in future aims to: ➔
Reach out to all the stakeholders identified in the previous years, through awarenessraising and education programs.
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Empower local authorities & community members, including the Block officers, Gram Pradhans, Forest Department officials, SHGs, room owners, vehicle owners and similar by handing over the entire work of waste collection and its processes, to them. It earns the community members a livelihood and also helps keep the area clean and disease free.
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Accomplish the goal of maximising the number of paying members in 12 villages where waste collection has been reinstated since November 2017.
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Setup SWM systems for 9 new villages that showed interest in the previous year with community co-funding of Rs 30 per month for 710 establishments (667 households and 43 shops).
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Create and publish over 10 publications and learning materials in English & Hindi, to share with stakeholders, publish on the website and other digital media platforms to spread mass awareness.
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Research to create an opportunity to work with the local community to set up decentralised micro-enterprises on waste and related themes.
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Annexures
1. Waste Warriors Corbett Revenue and Expense analysis (May December 2018)
Report by Nikita Khamparia, Project Manager, Waste Warriors Corbett Project E: nikita@wastewarriors.org Edited by: Minakshi Pandey, Initiator & Advisor, Waste Warriors Corbett Project E: minakshi@wastewarriors.org Date: 28th April 2019 Project Office: Village Bhakrakot, P.O. Mohan, Dist. Almora (via Ramnagar) Uttarakhand- 244715
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