GADAG: Lakkundi Gram Panchayat (GP) in Gadag district has come up with a novel idea to make this village of ancient temples plastic-free.
Employees of the panchayat offers sugar if villagers give them plastic waste. If villagers give 2kg of plastic waste, they will get 2kg of sugar. If they give 10kg of plastic waste, they will get 10 kg of sugar. This idea came up at a meeting of the panchayat recently and the campaign will start on Saturday. Lakkundi is 12 km from Gadag.
It is believed that Lakkundi once had 101 ancient temples and 101 lakes. But now, only a few of them remain. The village recently received Rs 5.66 crore for its comprehensive development and to make it a major tourism centre in the state. The Tourism Department has prepared a blueprint and the Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority has started renovation and restoration work on 13 ancient temples. Two modern toilets and restrooms will be built in the village soon.
Members and employees of the GP will raise awareness among the people on the plastic menace after launching the campaign on Saturday. Their aim is to get the whole village cleaned in a few weeks. They decided to launch this campaign after many efforts to keep Lakkundi clean and tidy failed in the past.
Gram panchayat president KS Pujar said, “We came up with the sugar for plastic waste campaign when people of the village did not cooperate with the GP in implementing the ban on use of plastic items such as carry bags. We have earmarked funds to make this campaign a success. We will soon make Lakkundi a plastic-free village.”