Remote village in Chopal leads way with 2 plastic waste parks

Leading the way to promote recycling and sustainability, a remote village panchayat --- Gram panchayat Paudiya in Chopal, in span of six months, has constructed two parks --- Swami Vivekananda Panchvati Plastic Waste Park by using recyclable materials such as old tyres and plastic.

“Two plastic waste parks have been constructed in Chopal in just 6 months. Chopal has become the only block in Himachal Pradesh to build a park from plastic waste”, said Additional Deputy Commissioner Shimla Abhishek Verma, who had inaugurated the second park.

Verma said, “Paudiya is a very remote Panchayat of Chopal area where the park has been constructed in just 21 days and about six quintals of plastic waste has been used in it.”

While praising the efforts of Chopal BDO Vineet Thakur and Paudiya Gram Panchayat pradhan Tapendra Mohan Sharma, ADC Verma said, “Such options are very necessary for better management of plastic waste.”

“Such experiments, on one hand, not only add to the beauty of the area, on the other, plastic waste is also being managed properly which is environment friendly,” said Verma while making an appeal to the residents “Instead of throwing plastic, collect it at one place so that plastic waste management can be done properly.”

Chopal Block development officer Vineet Thakur, said, “The purpose of building these parks was to prove that even waste can be converted into something beautiful. These parks are not just public spaces, they are a symbol of awareness, responsibility and local participation.”

“With these parks, Chopal has not only addressed the issue of plastic waste management but has also created beautiful and functional community assets, setting a new benchmark for sustainable development in the state,” he said.

Shimla deputy commissioner Anupam Kashyap said, “Old tyres and plastic bottles have been used in the construction of this park, which has not only become a center of attraction for the local people and children but is also attracting the tourists coming here.”

He said, “The message being given to the public is not to throw away junk items, but how and where to use them so that we all move forward in the direction of environmental protection and ensure a clean and beautiful environment for future generations.”

Shimla’s waste to wonder park in pipeline

Even though Shimla’s “Waste to Wonder Park” is still in pipeline, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) have converted stumps of trees that had fallen during the disasters of 2019 and 2023 in Shimla, into 300 small furniture pieces. Shaped into stools and chairs, these items have been installed at popular tourist destinations across the city --- the Ridge, near Gaiety Theatre, Yodha Niwas, Jakhu Temple and Chhota Shimla.

The “Waste to Wonder” park will be constructed using recyclable materials such as old tyres and plastic, the project, slated to begin this year.