PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Lalkuan
Lalkuan recently earned the first position in Uttarakhand and 54th nationwide in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 for towns with under 20,000 population. A major credit for this achievement goes to various self help groups but mainly the Gulmohar Men’s SHG, a unique team leading the town’s cleanliness mission.
The SHG, whose name was inspired by the Gulmohar tree outside the Nagar Panchayat office, played a key role in the town’s cleanliness drive along with others. At a ceremony held on July 17 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar honoured Lalkuan Nagar Panchayat for its efforts in sanitation and waste management.
The Panchayat secured 9,828 out of 12,500 points in the national survey, driven by initiatives like door-to-door garbage collection, operation of MRF plants, wastewater treatment and the formation of self-help groups. The Gulmohar Men’s SHG is the only such male-led group in the State and manages door-to-door collection and segregation of organic and non-organic waste. Besides this, 21 women’s SHGs also support various civic duties.
The Ekta group, for instance, collects user charges from households, a portion of which is used to pay the Gulmohar group. Nagar Panchayat president Surender Singh Lotni, a retired soldier, praised the efforts of consultant Manoj Badwal, executive officer Rahul Kumar Singh, staff and public cooperation. He said that the town now aims for a higher ranking in 2025-26.
Apart from sanitation, Lalkuan runs a Swarg Vehicle’ service and offers a public library run by women, open seven days a week with WiFi. Lalkuan’s model of community-driven cleanliness is now setting an example for towns across the country.
