BACKGROUND
Without a functioning waste disposal system, waste becomes a long-term health problem. In the Penthakata village, an informal settlement around the Penthakata School in Puri, the waste disposal system is currently incomplete. According to the last census in 2011, the village with 17,500 inhabitants at the time produced 5.4 tons of waste per day. The village around Penthakata School has grown in recent years. Today, the amount of waste produced daily is estimated at around 10 tons. The waste pollutes the streets, the beaches and the sea, the residues end up in the groundwater. Much of the waste is incinerated and the air pollution poses an additional health risk. In order to improve the living conditions of the local population in line with Usthi’s holistic approach, the Board of Trustees launched a waste management project in collaboration with EAWAG, the water research institute of ETH Zurich.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
The aim of the project is to develop a well-functioning waste management system together with the local population and to raise awareness. As part of a scoping mission, which Usthi carried out together with an Indian waste and resource management expert, information was collected for the conceptualization of the project and initial project activities were launched. A key pillar for the sustainability of the project is awareness-raising work. In future, the topic of waste management is to be integrated into the curriculum at Penthakata School and further training on waste management is to be offered for local teachers. In addition, a “plastic bank” is to be set up at Penthakata School and the local community is to be sensitized and strongly involved in the project, for example through the establishment of a waste management committee and beach cleaning events. In order to ensure the comprehensive implementation of a waste disposal strategy, we are working with EAWAG, the Puri municipal administration and the waste management committee to further develop the waste collection concept.