Saving the Charma: Stopping Waste at the Village Gate
An estimated 50% of Didihat town's solid waste and untreated sewage enters the Charma river. Here is how village-level segregation and composting can begin to reverse the damage.
The Charma River — our Netra Dhara — flows about 500 metres below the village and feeds the irrigation canals that sustain our terraces. It is also a sacred river, lined with shrines and used for our final farewells.
The problem
Rapid, unregulated urbanisation in the adjacent Didihat municipality has turned the Charma into a repository for pollution. Environmental assessments indicate roughly half of the town's solid waste and untreated sewage is discharged directly into the river — threatening downstream fields and public health.
What the village can do
- Door-to-door dry/wet waste segregation
- Community composting of organic waste into terrace fertiliser
- Riverbank shramdaan (voluntary clean-up drives)
- Pressure for proper sewage treatment upstream
Protecting the Charma is the single most visible test of our carbon-smart commitment.
