Varanasi cleanup crusader to impart lessons here

GUWAHATI: Inspired by the accolades she has been receiving for her exemplary project of cleaning the ghats of Varanasi, Temsutula Imsong is now sharing her expertise on solid waste management with local school students.
The 35-year-old from Nagaland, who has been almost single-handedly fighting the menace of dumping garbage in the city ghats, is teaching compost-making to students of Gyandeep Academy and Durga Charan Girls Inter College in Varanasi. Imsong, who had resigned from her 9-to-5 job to dedicate time to her NGO called Sakaar Sewa Samiti, took it upon herself to clean solid waste and human excreta from the ghats of Varanasi.

Pained by the dirt and garbage in the holy city, Imsong embarked on the monumental mission back in March 2013. She kept working tirelessly, gathering support, and sharing photos of her progress on social media. Her efforts did not go unnoticed as in March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about her work and subsequently mentioned her once again in his Toronto speech later that year. The acknowledgement fuelled her into fame, which led to a meeting with Modi in July 2015, honourable mentions by the President, and recognition from all quarters.

Encouraged by the appreciation, Imsong is now sharing her knowledge of solid waste management with school students in Varanasi and teaching them how to make compost. It all began when she attended a workshop in IIT-G on solid waste management after which she tried her hand at making compost at home. "At first I tried it at home — I started a kitchen garden and the process became very easy for me after some time. I have been engaging with the students of two schools, one of which is government and the other private, where I demonstrate how compost can be made at home.

The students have perfected the art now," Imsong told TOI. Speaking on the importance of waste management and how it is an integral part of any cleaning exercise, Imsong added, "It's useless to clean places if there are no proper solutions to take care of the garbage. There should be proper awareness about this at the individual level."