This Rajasthan village is leading the way towards single-use plastic-free future

At a time when the world is struggling to deal with their plastic waste, a tiny Rajasthan village has shown the way in dealing with the menace.

Kota (Rajasthan):Much before Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a clarion call to rid the country of single-use plastic on October 2, Keshavpura, a remote village in Rajasthan's Kota district, initiated its own humble campaign to curb plastic waste!

It was only after several domesticated cattle died due to the consumption of plastic that the residents of this village resolved not to use this non-biodegradable material.

On July 11, 2019, the villagers procured plastic waste from across the village and dumped it in a pit before setting it on fire.

The residents then pledged not to use single-use plastic again, and this resolution not only brought relief to them but also the cattle, which found solace from the decision.

Inspired by the voluntary initiative taken by the villagers, Keshavpura village development committee also took a decision to officially ban single-use plastic, particularly the ones used during community feasts.

As a result of this ban, single-use plastic items such as plastic plates, glasses, and other cutleries were not used in as many as 11 mass banquets organised since July.

The development committee of the village has further decided to replace plastic garbage bins with metal ones across Keshavpura.

Every resident of this tiny village carries either a paper bag or a cloth bag for shopping purposes.

Keshavpura, which is located 40 km away from the state capital Jaipur, and has a population of about 600 is now inspiring several of its neighbouring villages to adopt similar eco-friendly measures.