Clean up - Village Kheel Jasli
Laying the foundation for community-driven environmental action
Our first on-ground project focused on cleaning Kheel Jashli and addressing open dumping through immediate action and community awareness.
Overview
The Challenge
Kheel Jashli was facing severe waste accumulation due to continuous open dumping over time. The area had gradually turned into an informal dumping ground, affecting not just the visual environment but also creating hygiene and health concerns for nearby residents. The absence of a structured waste disposal system meant that dumping had become a normalized practice.
What made the situation more challenging was the lack of awareness around the long-term impact of such practices. For many, dumping waste in open areas was seen as a routine solution, without fully understanding its consequences on soil, water, and public health. This made it difficult to address the issue through cleanup alone, as the behavior driving the problem remained unchanged.
What We did
As an immediate step, Earth Healers Foundation initiated a large-scale cleanup of the site by hiring workers to clear the accumulated waste. This ensured that the area was restored quickly and effectively, setting a visible starting point for change. The cleanup was designed not as a one-time effort, but as the beginning of a longer process.
Following the initial cleanup, a dedicated street cleaning staff was engaged to maintain the area and prevent the reaccumulation of waste. The foundation then moved beyond cleanup toward building a more structured waste management approach. This included initiating awareness around source segregation and working toward systems for regular waste collection, laying the groundwork for improved long-term practices in subsequent projects.
Impact & Current status
The immediate cleanup transformed the area from a dumping site into a cleaner, usable space. Continued maintenance ensured that the progress was not reversed, while early steps toward waste management introduced a more sustainable approach to handling garbage.
The area remains significantly cleaner than before, supported by ongoing maintenance efforts. Awareness within the community has improved, and the shift toward better waste handling practices has begun to take shape.
What's next
The focus going forward is on strengthening the waste management systems introduced after the cleanup. This includes expanding awareness around source segregation, encouraging consistent participation from households, and supporting systems for regular and reliable waste collection.
At the same time, the foundation aims to build on these early efforts by integrating them into larger, more structured initiatives across other areas. Kheel Jashli serves as a starting point, with the long-term goal of creating a replicable model where cleanup, maintenance, and waste management work together to prevent the issue from recurring.
Before & After
