DEHRADUN: In a unique initiative to pace up cleanliness in the area, Kashipur Municipal Corporation in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district has started a scheme in which food will be provided in exchange of three kilos of garbage.
The scheme mainly targets people who are below the poverty line, who are either homeless or cannot afford a decent meal.
Usha Chowdhary, mayor of the corporation said, "We have started this scheme so that the people who are involved in cleanliness mission are encouraged. We aim to place our corporation in top three in terms of cleanliness."
The corporation has started collaborations with a few restaurants, food joints and dhabas, which will be providing food after getting a coupon issued by the municipal body.
It (the corporation) will issue coupons that can be exchanged for food in selected joints in Kashipur city.
Kashipur Municipal Corporation was infact placed at the 294th position in the 2019 report of Swacch Bharat Mission.
The issue of garbage disposal has been plaguing many regions of the state.
Roorkee Municipal Corporation has started an initiative to contain plastic garbage wherein a person will be paid Rs 5 per empty water bottle.
In an attempt to improvise on waste management, Uttarakhand High Court in 2018 had passed various orders including directing authorities to complete the tendering process for setting up the solid waste treatment plant within eight weeks.
The Court also barred any medical and solid waste from being dumped near rivers adding that penal and punitive action be taken against the persons, including government establishments, for non-compliance including imprisonment and imposing exemplary damages for restoration of environment and ecology.
Further, the court ruled for provision of suitable sites for storage, processing, recycling facilities of waste and hand over the sites to the concerned local authority for development, operation and maintenance, which shall ultimately be given to the operators by competent authority.