Waste Segregation Training with School Students

Date: 01 Mar 2024 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Development Alternatives (DA), under Project Prakriti - a collaboration between DA and HUL, conducted a training session on March 14, 2024, at the Primary School of Nikoowal village in Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. The primary objective of the training was to create awareness among school students about the importance and process of waste segregation at the source. A total of 96 school students enthusiastically participated in the session, where they learnt the basics of waste management and the importance of source segregation. The training sessions consisted of interactive games and activities that helped the students understand the difference between dry and wet waste, and their segregation and disposal in green and blue dustbins.

At the end of the session, the students were able to identify and segregate the garbage correctly, i.e., wet waste in the green bin and dry waste in the blue bin. The training session concluded with the students pledging to manage their school waste segregation every day. Project Prakriti aims to tackle waste management challenges in Nalagarh block, Solan district, Himachal Pradesh. The project targets Nikoowal, Rakh Ram Singh, and Kripalpur villages within the Nalagarh block. Rapid industrial growth and increased tourism have exacerbated issues like poor solid waste management and littering in this region.

Central to the project is the establishment of a decentralised waste management system to foster holistic village development. The baseline survey of the project revealed significant waste management issues in the project villages. Garbage strewn along roadsides and clogging drains underscores the absence of municipal solid waste segregation at the source or household level. Furthermore, there is a lack of door-to-door waste collection practices in the village. Recognising waste segregation's paramount importance, particularly in the context of community development, emphasis was placed on educating the younger generation, viewing children as catalysts for change within the community. Training the children was crucial not only for instilling sustainable habits from an early age but also for ensuring the continuity and success of waste management efforts in the long term.