With the decaying of our socio-political and economic conditions, which have become a hindrance to the path of collective progress, the perilous state of existence has to be transformed by interventions from many fronts. Social voluntary organisations including the leikai club has larger responsibility at the grassroots level in order to bring about the said transformation. Though one cannot deny the larger responsibility of the state institutions and the like, but the initial voice and action could be germinated from the local level organisations, clubs, including the women organisation.
One important area to start with could be the concern for our environment which is at a pathetic state. Our society has become so engrossed in self-gratification of our individual selves. One crude example is how we manage our garbage. It was not of an issue when the population was small. That we could manage the garbage disposal in our own residential compound, which we called as lukhak kom, but now the situation, has changed with the growing urbanization and growing population density. It has become impossible to manage our own private garbage disposal system. Our self-serving individualistic attitude has compounded the problem. We love to keep our immediate vicinity clean and hygienic but at the same time we disposed it at the public space caring little for the collective cleanliness. The state sponsored ‘Zero Garbage Campaign’ has lost into oblivion after much fanfare by the vested interest groups. Whatever may be the reason behind it, one cannot keep aside the problem with the mounting and neglected garbage in our public spaces.
Dr.Th. Kishan Foundation (DTKF) would start with a simple garbage disposal awareness campaign with the larger perspective of a healthier environment. The coming of Cheiraoba is one marked event wherein we can start the awareness with the general public. Every year a large number of people throngs the Cheiraoching. People come to pray, to climb the hill, to mark the beginning of the local New Year. But it is sad that people come with little awareness of their environment and the social responsibility they should have as responsible citizens. They leave behind a huge pile of garbage by littering on the hill tops. We must not forget that all this wastes product take a long time to decay in the soil. More particularly the plastic waste products for this would all flow into our drainage during the rainy seasons. It would choke the free flow of water. Not only would it also flow into the rivers, ultimately it would flow into other water bodies. Our precious Loktak Lake receives a huge amount of garbage every year.
DTKF wishes to start with a small intervention in this regard. With the coming of the Cheiraoba, the foundation with other likeminded friends and organisations will start awareness campaign. The campaign will take up the following steps:
1. Discourage the use of plastic water bottles, request the shops and retailers near the foot hill not to sell package water bottle. Climbers will be requested to bring their own water bottles.
2. Teach the general people the habit of throwing wastes into proper disposal systems like the dustbins.
3. This is also true that without the dustbins it is simply not possible to translate the work into action. We will make an effort to arrange dustbins in selected areas.
4. Educate the people of the gravity of the garbage menace through slogans and paper handouts.
5. Collaborate with other clubs and organisation for the said task.
6. Our volunteers will hand out basic instructions of garbage disposal on paper handouts right at the foot of the hill on the Cheiraoba day.
7. Welcome suggestion and participation from one and all to make it more practical and meaningful.
8. While creating awareness, cordial approach is the only way to win the heart and mind of many to actively participate for the good cause.
This press release is being submitted by GoManipur.
