Leh: HDFC Bank, India’s leading private sector bank, under its CSR brand Parivartan and the CII Foundation have launched a waste management initiative to create ‘Zero Waste Cities’ in Leh district. The project is initially being implemented in 25 villages in 2 blocks of Leh – Chuchot and Kharu – where safe waste collection and local recycling of plastic and other waste will be introduced and implemented to create a sustainable waste management system.
At a Stakeholder Workshop was held in Leh, with the support of the district administration, under the guidance of the Department of Rural Development, Union Territory of Ladakh, CII Foundation and HDFC Bank expressed their commitment to improving waste management practices in Ladakh. Mr. Rakesh Joshi, Zonal Head J&K and Ladakh, HDFC Bank; Mr. Tahir Ahmed Khan, Assistant Vice President, HDFC Bank; Mr. Ghulam Mohammad, BDO, Chuchot; Mr. Manzoor Hussain, BDO, Kharu; Mr. Nawang Thinles, Former Chairman, CII Ladakh Region; Syed Shah Naqwi, Chairman, Imamia Mission School; Mr. Parwez, Principal, Government High School, Chuchot Yokma, SHG members of Chuchot and Kharu Block, Gen Thinles, Secretary, Thikse Monastery, and members of the media graced the occasion.
Speaking at the occasion Mr. Rakesh Joshi, Zonal Head J&K and Ladakh, HDFC Bank, said, “As a responsible corporate citizen, we have always endeavoured to positively impact the environment and the communities in which we operate. Sustainability is a core value and part of our DNA at the Bank, and this project reiterates our commitment to mitigate the negative effects of improper waste management in Ladakh, which is compounded in the busy season.”
Sharing their perspectives on the initiative, Mr. Ghulam Mohammad, BDO, Chuchot said, “We have done several awareness sessions and cleanliness drives in the last few months in collaboration with CII Foundation and HDFC Bank and are planning a few more. Society is welcoming this initiative and supporting it.” Mr. Manzoor Hussain, BDO, Kharu said “We are going to open one MRF facility in Kharu block with the support of HDFC Bank and the CII Foundation which will help us to tackle the problem of dry waste.”
Mr. Nawang Thinles, Former Chairman, CII Ladakh Region said, “We as CII will promote ‘Zero Waste Ladakh’ and will work towards achieving that goal. We are grateful to HDFC Bank for supporting this initiative.”
Speaking about how school children are being encouraged to participate in this initiative, Syed Shah Naqwi, Chaiman, Imamia Mission School said “We are holding awareness sessions in schools with the support of CII Foundation and HDFC Bank and have added waste management in our school curriculum. We are also going to villages to create awareness among the community.”
Mr. Parwez, Principal, Government High School, Chuchot Yokma added that all the children were happy after the last cleanliness drive. “We are exploring the possibility of including waste management in some way in the school curriculum,” he said.
Appreciating the initiative, Gen Thinles, Secretary, Thikse Monastery said “We are happy with this initiative by CII Foundation and HDFC Bank. We have received one automatic plastic bottle vending machine, and we promise to use it and promote its use. With this, we will send a strong message to society to reduce the use of plastic.”
Ladakh has been struggling with a growing waste problem. It is estimated that 16 tonnes of waste is generated daily, primarily during the tourist season. Large swathes of land are littered with plastic water bottles and other waste, and the existing waste management system and infrastructure is inadequate to effectively manage the waste.
HDFC Bank and the CII Foundation aim to address this challenge through project interventions ranging from creating awareness to strengthening the infrastructure for waste management.
Prior to the launch of the waste management project, an extensive field visit was undertaken to devise an effective community-led waste management project. Meetings were held with key stakeholders and based on these discussions, it was decided to form village committees and organise workshops with village representatives and the Ladakh administration. Synergies with government project ‘Tsangda’ on waste management and plastic recycling were also explored.
This project marks a significant step towards addressing the waste management challenges in Leh and creating a cleaner, more sustainable environment for its residents and visitors.
