From trash to tabla, tyre to table: This ‘waste artist’ is transforming Ghaziabad’s parks

Ghaziabad: In this bustling NCR city, she's transforming urban waste into masterpieces that captivate both the eye and imagination. Namita Sharma — the 44-year-old founder of Saksham Helping Hands NGO — has become the creative force behind the city's revolutionary ‘Waste to Wonder' parks.
Growing up in a middle-class household, Namita learnt early that every discarded item held potential. "My mother's philosophy was simple – nothing goes to waste. Those early lessons in resourcefulness shaped my perspective on what others might consider trash," she says.
Namita's philosophy has now manifested into three such public spaces. The first park, unveiled at Company Bagh in Naya Ganj in 2023, set the stage for what would become a city-wide movement. Subsequent installations at Raj Nagar in Dec last year and at Meerut Road Trisection this Feb have further cemented her reputation as a "waste artist".
The numbers tell an impressive story. More than 1.2 tonnes of iron scrap, 550kg of plastic waste, 10,000 plastic bottles, 235 old tyres, and 45kg of discarded clothing have breathed new life into Company Bagh alone. Namita's creations range from lotus flowers blooming from old tyres to musical instruments fashioned from water tanks and metal scraps, illuminated by colourful lights that transform these intersections.
At the park in Meerut Road trisection, her latest masterpiece features a magnificent 1.5-tonne veena crafted from salvaged materials, standing as the centrepiece among installations created from eight tonnes of iron scrap, 10 plastic water tanks, and 400 old tyres. "These aren't just installations, they're narratives in metal and plastic. Each piece tells a story of transformation, challenging viewers to reconsider their definition of waste," she says.
Namita's initiative is part of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation's ‘Waste to Best' campaign. Mithilesh Kumar, municipal health officer, says raw materials come from city-wide encroachment drives.
The 44-year-old agrees that her journey to this point wasn't immediate. "I had been knocking on GMC's doors since 2019. When the opportunity finally came in Jan 2023, it felt like the universe acknowledged years of persistence," he says.
Her first project, a tribute to Army soldiers at Company Bagh, set the standard for future installations.