This Society Is Turning All Waste to Wonder: 51-YO Woman From Faridabad Became The Green Guardian Of Change

Home waste management is one of the biggest environmental issues confronting the entire world and pushing our planet’s ecosystem towards collapse. The problem in the crowded cities of India is even worse. You will see scholars and common people lecturing each other about the grave situation and what the government should be doing with all the waste to wonder jobs.

But did you know the problem that starts at home can be managed right at home without government interference? Yes, it is possible through home composting! However, it is perceived as too damn hard and dirty work. So, people tend to stay away from it, but there are a few souls who take responsibility on their shoulders and make an effort to make a difference in society.

Waste to Wonder

Babita Singh, a resident of Summer Palms Society, Faridabad, is one of those exceptional individuals. Her story is an inspiring tale of courage that made her the flagbearer of home composting in her city and set an example for others to follow. 

In the bustling, negatively popular city of Faridabad for garbage and dirt, where the pace of life is such that people lose their connection with nature, this lady encouraged her society in Faridabad Sector 86 to embrace waste management and composting. This society is turning its waste to wonder and all thanks to Babita Singh for it.

She made them realize that the foul smell of waste is just a small inconvenience, but embracing the waste can bring change to their overall environment. Her hard work paid off in the form of awards and recognition, but the impact Babita is creating is beyond measurement.

From Faridabad, the city often dubbed the dirtiest in the NCR, Babita and her team soared to victory, earning the “Cleanest Society of NCR” award for their exceptional organic waste recycling initiative, under the zero waste management awards under the segregation of organic waste for recycling and treatment initiative.

She is not only helping to produce black gold (compost manure)  from the garbage of her society but also helping many other societies and institutions to do the same.

Home composting: a nature-amazing method of recycling

Composting is a process that happens in nature where organic raw materials are converted into nutritious manure. In simple language, waste and garbage turn into manure. This process helps reduce trash, contributes to climate control, and helps the soil become fertile. It’s all well and good to hear, but why isn’t it widely adopted in countries like India, and how Faridabad a compact city could still do it?

The reason is that waste stinks and the work involved in segregating the waste into dry and wet and separating plastic from it is not something everyone likes to do, as it is not your usual activity of brooming the house or cleaning the floor that your maid can do.

One has to put their hands into the waste, separate it, put it into containers, and wait for a month or so to turn it into compost. Who wants to take up such a task and put in the effort? But Babita decided to get the work done!

How Mountains Inspired Her And Became The Driving Force For Her Passion

Babita is 51 years old and completed her studies in Delhi. She has been a content writer and RWA (residents welfare society) secretary. She lives with her family in Faridabad. She says that she has always been interested in the idea of a greener, more sustainable environment. Babita shares how living in mountainous areas made her realize how fragile our environment is and how people just take it for granted.  

Before Faridabad, my schooling happened in Masuri. I stayed in a hostel as per my parents’ decision, and later, I got married in Shimla. Let me tell you, when you’re up in the hills, you suddenly realize your own fragility. The hills bear the brunt of it all. And that’s when you understand that saving the environment is non-negotiable. We all have to pitch in and do our part, no exceptions.”

After observing the dire situation of waste management in Faridabad city and how the residents’ waste was not being properly managed by the government, she thought of an idea by which her society’s waste would be collected and segregated in big bins, and plastic would be separated from it so that it didn’t land in landfills.

Moreover, compost will be extracted from the waste.  She knew that convincing society’s authority would be hard, but this adamant soul was not one to give up, and she persisted and became successful.

Her path wasn’t easy, but she earned authority and turned the circumstances in her favor

People tend to ignore, criticize, or even reject any idea that can make their lives uncomfortable. It is easy for people to just give away their home waste to private and government garbage pickers. But this woman was hell-bent on keeping waste within the premise of society instead of giving out the waste without any final end to it.

Foul smells and the idea of waste right in the center or corners of society are not something people like to live with or even imagine, and who wants to give up their leisure even though they like the idea of waste management? At the end of the day, it’s the job of the government and local civic bodies. They resisted and even discouraged her.

In these challenging scenarios, Babita knew she had to be courageous and upfront with her approach. She gives much credit to the team that supported her even when most opposed her idea.

What did she do? This determined individual contested to become the secretary of her society, RWA, and after winning, she spoke her mind. 

I want to give much credit to my awesome RWA colleagues and the incredible residents who made it all happen. We rocked it as a team, and I’m grateful for their support! If it was not my RWA colleagues and the positive support from my society, and family, it would have been impossible to do something like this.

With time, she gained the support and encouragement of like-minded people. Her efforts became futile, and with time, people started to support her. With time, even government agencies such as IPCA (the Indian Pollution Control Agency) came forward and supplied her with Aeerobin, which made composting easier. 

At present, she is not only helping her society in Faridabad fight the issues of waste management but also helping several other societies in Delhi NCR, institutions such as IIM, and even private companies manage their waste on their own with her guidance and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Passion And Compassion Paved The Way For Her

The act of producing manure from waste is not an easy task, especially when you talk about collecting and segregating waste from hundreds of houses. One has to involve people who can put their hands into the waste of others.

So, Babita understood she would need committed manpower for a long time, and only paying money is not going to keep them for a long time. So, she displays respect and compassion towards them and treats them as equals. She attributes the success of her campaign to the workers, who have been working with her for a long time in the same society in Faridabad.

A Resilient Soul Who Has Defied The Odds, Time And Time Again

Babita’s determined attitude is not a new thing, and she is someone who has shown her courage several times before. She came across a hard-to-treat liver issue around 10 years ago and even fought cancer recently. but she never gave up and always stood tall in the face of challenges. No wonder she is someone who likes challenges and overcoming them with flying colors.

Organic Farming On The Cards

Babita is currently also putting in the effort to encourage the farmers to grow organic crops, vegetables, and fruits. This is another project that is close to her heart. Organic farming is not easy in terms of commercial gains since the production is low, and it takes more effort to sell it to the market.

She is currently working with a group of farmers (9 in all) as an aggregator to sort out their concerns while forming a mechanism that can help their livelihood and organic farming grow. So, Babita has really found her passion in making the environment better, and she will keep on making more efforts towards it. We wish her the best of luck on her wonderful journey.     

Mad4India is truly inspired by her dedication! At 51, she is driving an incredible initiative to turn the wet waste of her society into compost and manure, paving the way for a healthy waste management system. Her efforts to make the Earth a better place are truly commendable. You can contact her on – 9661202881 for finding a way to turn your daily waste to wonder!

If you loved this story, you can also read about Inspiring Story Of 8-YO Scuba Diver Collecting 600KG Plastic Waste to Help Marine Ecosystem Along With Her Father

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