Annatnag, Dec. 2: On November 22, Manzoor Ahmad Dar was enjoying the pleasant warmth of the morning sun while relaxing in his quiet village of Turka-Tachloo, which is located 7 km from the town of Anantnag in south Kashmir. He received a call from one of his workers, speaking shakily, informing him that his plastic recycling unit was engulfed in fire.
Dar hurried to go to his factory, which was around 12 kilometers from his hometown in the Vessu region.
A fire engine had already arrived, and firefighters were working very hard to put out the flames before Dar arrived.
Thousands of empty bottles, wrappers, and polythene carrybags were among the plastic scraps that the fire quickly consumed, turning everything to ashes.
Tonnes of merchandise were ready at the time of the tragedy, according to Dar.
Dar said, “It all went up in smoke.”
As he estimated the loss at Rs 95 lakh, he became restless.
Dar would be very troubled by the widespread usage of plastic, from water bottles to carry bags, since he had always intended to start an endeavor to help eradicate the ubiquitous issue.
Ultimately, in 2019, Dar established a plastic recycling facility and began collecting plastic waste from neighbors’ doors.
Along with contributing to the decrease in plastic use, the unit gave many people in the district and the surrounding regions new job possibilities.
Numerous individuals, either directly or indirectly, depended on his recycling unit to support themselves.
According to Dar, there were more than 25 full-time personnel working at the facility.
According to him, a large number of individuals would gather plastic debris from local towns and transport it to the facility.
According to Dar, “they would not only earn a living but also help eradicate plastic from society.”
The local government recently presented him with the “Eco-Warrior Award.”
But the terrible event that happened last month not only destroyed Dar’s business, but it also ended the lives of several others.
Dar was forced to fire at least twenty-five workers when the unit went up in flames.
Additionally, he halted the scrap collection procedure.
Dar finds himself in a difficult situation since the government ignored his plea for some financial support.
“I’m not sure what to do at all. He said, “It is about the livelihood of hundreds of people, not just about a facility.
Additionally, Dar had requested land be allotted in the neighboring Kulgam district’s Check Pora, Bamdoora industrial development; however, that request has not yet been fulfilled.
“The land allotment will mitigate certain issues and facilitate my restart,” Dar said.
There didn’t appear to be any other hope, he said.
“It’s the absolute minimum I demand from the government,” Dar said.
