a rubbish job in parvatti valley, india

Parvatti Valley is a stunning area of the Indian Himalayas strongly connected with the Hindu ancient scriptures. Hence, the culture here is based a lot on worship, however, tourism and trade have started to deplete the area as commerce has grown. 

There currently is no infrastructure to deal with waste, it is burnt or thrown in the river to become somebody else's problem or in fact, an issue for nature.

Subsequently the water is being contaminated as is the land. The land is looking disgusting in places where it should look magical, animals are grazing on micro landfills of waste and due to the caste system, collecting rubbish is perceived as the lowest of the low.

So a group of us volunteered our time to spark awareness in the community working with the local council, school and tourists we ran waste collections, a fun education program, graffitied messages and during the busy festival season ran stands that promoted the cause and raised funds by making festival decorations in exchange for donations from organisers. It was a fantastic initiative that brought some wonderful people together.

Local graffiti

Ensuring we had the languages covered was important, especially given the sensitivity around 'who is to blame'

Local school children coloured in Shiva messages to show and share with their parents.

During the festivals volunteers from Mountain Cleaners NGO from Dharamshala came to run collections & assist with fund raising.

The 'shanti space' where we spread good vibes & raised donations

Local graffiti

Next to the natural hot springs many bathe and subsequently put waste in the river.

Local children were so enthusiastic.

The first bin in Kasol at Challal School painted by the children

'Be the change you want to see in the world'

The 'project' started in March 2012 and continued to run over the summer period lead mainly by conscious foreigners and locals supporting their efforts.

Since it began, we are delighted to report that bins have been purchased for the 7 villages of Kasol Panchiat and the Holy pilgrimage site of Kheer Ganga is also implementing a system to ensure that the plastic is disposed of correctly.

Still there is plenty more work to be done to really tackle the waste problems in the valley. There are always more things to do. Corporations like Coca Cola can take responsibility for the products that are lining the valley. The huge hydropower plant developments in the area also have plenty of resources that they could dedicate to preserving the valley. Then there's the politics, money... etc.

Nevertheless as we demonstrated, with a little heart and effort we can create change. All it takes is for one to be true and put their words in to action.

Big thanks to everyone for their support. If you are interested in helping out please get in touch.