KAMAREDDY: For years, farmers in Endriyal village watched rainwater carry plastic waste from the local garbage yard into their fields. The plastic would not decompose, removing it was difficult, and every monsoon brought fresh trouble. Now, a simple initiative by the gram panchayat is helping change that reality.
Most villagers depend on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihood. Earlier, all plastic waste generated in the village was dumped at the garbage yard. During rains, water flowing from the dumping site carried plastic into nearby agricultural fields, creating problems during cultivation.
Villagers say the situation worsened last year after heavy rains left large quantities of plastic scattered across farmlands. Following Ugadi, the gram panchayat launched a plastic waste awareness and collection drive.
The initiative received support from G Lingareddy, a native of the village now living abroad, who donated `10,000 for the programme. Using the funds, the panchayat introduced an exchange scheme under which villagers receive a tiffin box with a lunch container for every kilogram of plastic waste collected.
So far, villagers have collected 70 kg of plastic waste and 70 tiffin boxes have been distributed. The collected plastic is packed into bags and handed over to organisations specialising in plastic waste management.
District Collector Ashish Sangwan visited the village and appreciated the gram panchayat’s efforts to raise awareness about plastic usage and waste collection. He also presented tiffin boxes to two villagers who participated in the drive.
Village sarpanch Korni Narasimlu says the gram panchayat wanted villagers to actively participate in all development programmes. “Village development depends on public cooperation. We want people to take ownership of these initiatives,” he adds.
He mentions that the village recently received Rs 6 lakh under Union government initiatives to take up drainage works, while road works are expected to begin soon.
According to the sarpanch, several villagers living abroad are also willing to contribute to Endriyal’s development, and more environmental protection programmes will be introduced in the coming days.