Assam: Gorkha women join hands to fight single-use plastic menace

Guwahati: At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pressing on the need to reduce the use of single-use plastic across the country, the Gorkha community living in the Uttarkuchi locality of lower Assam’s Baksa district are giving his mission a renewed push. Local residents have come out with an impressive eco-friendly initiative to replace disposable plastic plates and bowls.

People from the locality, especially women, are coming out to the discard the use of single-use plastic by making plates and bowl from tree leaves which are easily available in the locality.

The unique initiative by the women attempts to sensitise people across the nation about the hazards of plastic use and also provides them with an alternative method to replace and reduce the usage of single-use plastic plates and bowls.

Through this eco-friendly move, the village women also try and motivate people to save money by using naturally prepared products which are biodegradable and easily available around.

Speaking to the media, a woman said that the naturally prepared plates and bowls have been a part of their tradition and customs since forever, and is used for serving food and making offerings at marriages and other religious ceremonies.

“It has been there from before, we are just reviving it now,” she added.

Reiterating PM Modi’s plastic-free movement, another girl from the locality expressed that the naturally prepared plates and bowls is an attempt to fulfill his dream.

“Unlike the single-use plastic made plates and bowls, these products are biodegradable and won’t cause any harm to the environment, [and] also help in fulfilling the Prime Minister’s dream,” she expressed.

In his Independence Day address this year, PM Modi had announced that there will a complete ban on a number of single-use plastic items from October 2 which marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This move by the Central government will be a part of the ambitious drive against SUPs under the theme ‘Shramdaan’.