GADAG: Anyone who visits this tiny village is bound to notice that there is no plastic waste strewn around or any sign of a liquor shop. Nor there is open defecation. What isn’t apparent at first glance is the untiring efforts of the students and a Gram panchayat member who turned Tippapur into a model village.

The students of Government primary school and their inspiration,  Gram Panchayat member Devaraj Hadapad,  made this possible. It is not easy to take up the challenge of banning single-use plastic in an effort to raise awareness about the damage it is causing the environment. Nor is it easy to persuade villagers not to defecate outdoors. But this brigade did.

Tippapur owes it to Devaraj Hadapad. Soon after becoming a GP member three years ago, Devaraj first wanted to create awareness in students. So he visited the school and shared his ideas with the teachers and got a positive response. 

Devaraj then started explaining to students about cleanliness and the environment. As a next step, he would ask the students to clean their school. The cleaning campaign started on a Sunday initially and then it was scheduled thrice a week. After school hours, students would visit houses in groups and explain to the villagers the importance of cleanliness..

First, they created awareness on open defecation. Under Devaraj’s guidance, students would explain to villagers about health and hygiene. The brigade faced stiff resistance. But they refused to give up. It took three months for Devaraj and the students to make the village open defecation free. Today every house boasts of a toilet built with government funds.

Next, they turned their attention to plastic. It took nearly three years for the village to stop using plastic. How this came about is fascinating. The students would stand in front of the entrance of their village after school hours and tell the villagers about the harmful effects of plastic.

Devaraj put a bin on the outskirt of the village. He then asked all students to spread across the village, collect plastic waste like bags and bottles and dump them in the bin. While collecting plastic bags, students would visit each and every house and impress upon them to use cloth bags instead. This campaign took some time as villagers who went to neighbouring towns would come back with plastic bags full of goods. But finally all the villagers started using cotton bags and now the village is plastic free.

Then they took up a liquor ban campaign. All students requested the men to stop consuming alcohol in the village. This campaign started six months ago and today you don’t find anyone in the village drinking.

Now they are tackling those who return to the village after drinking elsewhere. The cause champions are in the process of arranging de-addiction programmes and it may take some more time.

Devaraj Hadapad says, “When I became a GP member. I had some plans to make the village a model one. I thought of taking help from students who are a good catalyst in changing villagers’ mind.  I am happy that the students worked with me before and after school hours. I thank one and all for their hard work in reaching each and every house in the village. Our village got an award for being the first open defecation free village in Mundargi taluk”.

Saraswati Hulagaddi, student says, “Devaraj sir told us to make our village ODF and plastic free. We made groups of four and met villagers. Initially, we faced many difficulties as villagers were not in a mood to listen to  us. But our repeated visits and our strategies made them relent and lowly they agreed to build toilets with  government funds.”

Rakshita Hadapad, a  student says, “We collected plastic from each house and dumped them in the bin put at the outskirts of village. One day when all people gathered for a function, we told them to use cotton bags. Now our village is plastic free”.