NGO stops garbage disposal operation in Landour Cantt

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, July 24

KEEN, a nonprofit organisation, involved in garbage disposal management in around two wards of Landour Cantonment Board since March, has finally decided to shut down its operations due to lackadaisical approach of cantonment board officials and paucity of funds from August, leaving the future of the garbage disposal in Cantonment Board area uncertain.

The organisation was involved in cleanliness and garbage disposal exercise and had provided its services to Woodstock School for several years but was asked by the school management to stop the services last year.

Dana Cryder, president of the organisation, said the KEEN employees were picking up the garbage from around 35 dustbins installed at Landour Cantonment Board since March 21. The organisation runs with the help of 13 employees and has already spent Rs 4 lakh on the cleanliness campaign in the Cantonment Board. Due to paucity of funds, it has run out of steam and left with no other option but to shut down its operations from August. Dana Cryder said they had met Landour Cantonment president Major General Shammi Sabbharwal for logistic support but received mere assurance and nothing else so far. He said a composter machine, bought from Pune last week, had begun functioning near his house. The machine convert 50 kg kitchen garbage into organic fertiliser in 15 days thus negating the need of a dumping ground in the Cantonment Board area. He said the KEEN was also contacting various organisations of repute namely India Administrative Academy and other reputed boarding schools and offered the similar service. The KEEN had installed similar kind of machine in their schools and for that it was ready to impart necessary training but had not received any response yet.

Sunil Panwar, the member of organisation, said the KEEN had collected around 3,000 kg recyclable garbage and 500 kg non-recyclable garbage since March. He said the organisation had been working in the area for the past 28 years and was started by eminent environmentalist and Woodstock School faculty member Dick Vector. Panwar said the use of these machines would cut the cost of dumping ground but it was unknown why the Cantonment Board was not interested in seeking their services.

Residents of the area are sad at the end of long lasting relationship with the KEEN.

Mahesh Chandra, vice-president, Landour Cantonment Board said a firm named Tanmaya was already working in the area under contract and there was no need for any other such agency in the area till then.