“Give Polythene and get a gold coin in return”

 Sadiwara Panchayat Halqa A of South Kashmir’s Anantnag District has pledged to give a gold coin worth 10 grams to any person who collects 21 quintals of polythene in the area.

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag,05,Feb: A man in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district has launched a unique initiative to eliminate polythene, and plastics from rural areas and strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swachh Bharat” campaign by collecting polythene with the slogan, “Give polythene and get a gold coin reward” here in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district”.

Advocate Farooq Ahmad Ganie a sarpanch in panchayat Halqa sadiwara block Hiller area of south Kashmir Anantnag district started this unique initiative from his village Sadiwara with the slogan  “Give polythene and get gold coin reward.”

Talking to Arising state Farooq Ahmad Ganie said that the eco-friendly initiative is aimed at making all the villages plastic-free. It has become a major concern for the environment in the villages that the accumulation of plastic waste is directly linked to degrading water and land quality, he said.

Added that the panchayat Halqa sadiwara block Hiller area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag District has become the first panchayat in Jammu and Kashmir that launched the slogan of “Give polythene get gold coin reward.”

The concept was launched by District Magistrate Anantnag Dr Basharat Qayoom during a function on Thursday.

The situation where our environment has been engulfed with non-degradable plastic like polythene bags, sanitary pads, diapers hazardous waste and if same is not treated timely our rivers will dry up in the next years, we will suffer acute water shortages. Our land will be unfit for any kind of cultivation, said Farooq Ahmed Ganie, chairman of SRCK social reconstruction center Kashmir and sarpanch of Sadiwari A block Hiller Shahabad in Anantnag.

‘My slogan “Give polythene, get rewarded” was discussed with the Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Dr Basharat Qayoom when I developed it. Dr Qayoom supported and appreciated the slogan. In fifteen days, I conducted three community participation programs, and we cleaned a minimum of 10 spots over one km,’said Ganie.

‘Upon introducing the slogan “Give polythene, get a reward” on the ground, we engaged 25 members from local Auqaf, senior citizens and irrigation employees in cleaning rivers and roads urging people to give polythene and get a reward, ‘said Ganie.

‘In fact, I was surprised to find that some ladies even collected polythene and asked for a reward. The deputy commissioner visited our village and those who had collected polythene were given a reward,’said Ganie.

‘As a result, the idea struck me that if people can collect polythene as a reward, shouldn’t they also be offered something substantial? It is common for our mothers and sisters to collect waste, iron pieces, plastic, etc., in the far-flung villages of Kashmir, in exchange for money. In response to my announcement and change of slogan to “Give polythene and get a Gold coin reward.”. people were captivated by the announcement and change of slogan. The women started coming to us with piles of polythene and claiming their reward.’

Ganie said we have taken a pledge to make our Gram panchayat clean and green by 2023. We will be giving one (10-gram) gold coin to a person who will give us 21 Quintals of polythene. We will also reward those who even make an effort.

Gram Panchayat has already embraced the idea, offering a gold coin to anyone who collects and donates polythene and plastic. He said that we would dispose of the polythene in a scientific manner, and we would provide every household with three cloth bags in place of the polythene.

Asked if the initiative would be successful, he replied, positive moves always succeed, so all citizens, irrespective of their political and religious affiliations, need to cooperate and begin cleaning their own streets and drains, and ask people not to throw away the trash, but rather segregate it at home. The slogan “Give polythene get a golden coin reward” was well received in the village after we announced it,he said.

Ganie urges the political parties to come out of their bungalows and contribute to the next generation. “It is time for political parties to commit to working for a clean and green JK,” he said, adding that if no measures are taken to say no to polythene, our next generation will suffer badly and we will not find a healthy environment for our people.

Meanwhile,  Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Dr. Basharat Qayoom has hailed the efforts of Advocate Farooq Ahmad Ganie and provided five balling machines for the village.

Despite the fact that I’m the one who brought this idea about, I must give the whole credit for the success of this idea to the residents of the village- young and old- besides the Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag and other district officials who recognized my idea and accepted it. The effort will not only save our environment but will make our society healthy and wealthy, said Advocate Farooq Ahmad Ganie.