Kolkata - With a population density of about 24,000 people per kilometre square, the three hundred year old city of Kolkata is bursting at the seams. Like most metropolises, hosts of migrants join the city’s population in their quest for a decent living. Accommodating the poorest of this surge of people, slum settlements have burgeoned in around the urban area.

The majority of this segment of the urban population is deprived of even basic education, and coupled with a hard life, apathy and lack of conscientising makes them ignorant of basic environmental norms, and thus damage caused by their daily activities. For example many slum home-makers still use charcoal to cook and expose themselves and others to the harmful fumes generated. Plastics, especially in the form of polybags are also widely used and discarded indiscriminately. Garbage abounds near dwellings and plays hosts to deadly diseases. The list can go on.

In order to improve this dismal picture of urban life in slums, World Vision India along with Green for Life Foundation conducted small term intervention on Waste Management in local slum communities through awareness camps and skill training workshop at Mazdurpara, Topsia (Kolkata), having a goal to achieve for the well-being of community, through hands on and minds on activities, teamwork and community involvement, for creating a sustainable Model Slum for a healthier and greener society.

Some of the objectives if the campaign were
• To reinforce Environment Awareness Educational Camps and Workshops in local communities by offering a set of sustainable community development activities based on innovative ideas and life-skills.
• To promote eco-friendly technologies in local communities through interactive group discussions, showcasing of short documentaries and healthy environmental practices.
• To generate economic growth and provide local communities the scope to develop a sustainable livelihood by learning skills to convert waste into production.

The Environment Awareness Educational Camps were carried out in five phases in the month of May 2017. The awareness programs were conducted by Team of both World Vision India and Green for Life foundation and enlisted volunteers from the community. Initially the people residing in the slum weren’t aware of the hazards they were facing but upon realising what ill-effects it may cause to their future generations their interest in understanding the problem grew, and they saw themselves as stakeholders. The initial program was conducted in the community hall, where the people would gather, and using videos and practical sessions, the community also learnt about waste management and enhanced their knowledge.

The workshops also focussed on increasing the skilled to generate economic growth and provide local communities the scope to develop a sustainable livelihood by learning skills to convert waste into production. The people of Mazdurpura were taught the skill of making cloth bags, paper bags and folder bags made out of recycled plastics. This way the people knew how to handle the waste generated and generate extra revenue in order to sustain their lives.

“Mazdurpura was selected, because Mazdurpara slum waste disposal management is a major issue, KMC waste management system is not reaching inside community. Also it is evident problems related to waste management is of paramount importance and also relate with perennial diseases like malaria, dengue, diarrheal dysentery, typhoid etc. Waste problem in the area is so acute it is literally visible in every part of the area.” says Ms. Priskila Macwan Technical Specialist-Resilience at World Vision India. She added “We have installed five community bins at Mazdurpara only for dumping poly bags and it will be followed up by the volunteers after every 15 days in a month.

We also intend to set-up a waste management in the months to follow.” It was a humble approach by World Vision India and Green for Life Foundation to come with such an idea and effort to help out the people of Mazdurpara in order to improve their lifestyle aswell as to protect the environment.