Help Tourism

A festival to promote the Samsing-Jaldhaka area in the foothills of the Bhutan Himalaya under Darjeeling Hills as a major orange growing landscape within the pristine nature to promote community based tourism, ecological conservation, Indo-Bhutan Friendship and Peace.

Dates: 6th and 7th of December 2010

• Organized by:
  Samsing-Jaldhaka Orange Festival CommitteeIn Collaboration with:
  WBFDC & Help Tourism
  Resort Owners Association, Lataguri
  Gorumara Paryatan Unnayan Committee
  Chuikhim-Elbong Homestays
  Lava Hotel Restaurant Owners Association
  Loleygaon-Kafer Hotel Owners Association
  Association for Conservation and Tourism
  Nature Mate Nature Club
  Chauthary, Samsing

For any further details please visit: http://orangefestival.blogspot.com/

A bit more than three months have passed since the German expert Klaus was a main speaker at a workshop on Waste Management in Lava. That days, the meetings were well attended, the community was quite enthusiastic and the incinerator, that Klaus had introduced and explained, had been burning till late that night. He was very interested to find out how much of the communities’ self-commitment was left and how much of the waste was gone, and we as well we’re quite curious. So we called at Lava to get some feedback. Few members of the Lava Hotel & Restaurant Association, of the Driver Welfare Association and the Forest Department were around to share their experiences: A process has started and few cleaning and burning sessions have been organised. Both local people and visitors have recognised that something is happening. The Forest Department has adopted Klaus’ technology of the staggered grills for the construction of three incinerators that are located on strategic points in Lava. Places for waste-separation have been set aside next to the incinerators but practical implementation is only in the very beginning. Cleaning and burning are currently organised rather in form of events than with a clearly defined responsibility for permanent service and maintenance. Having two dedicated “village cleaners” for four incinerators is an odd relation. A broader community involvement, the establishment and use of a recycling and collection system, and a general commitment towards a cleaner Lava are issues that are addressed in formal and informal meetings. But the villagers are realistic enough to know that it is a long way.

Our summary: The collection and burning sessions have been quite effective. Lava appears much cleaner than before with many of the green areas unlittered. People still talk about waste and its treatment – the intention to bring this issue into the discussion worked out. Talking is not walking – and people have understood that well and the search for stable solutions continues.

A small boy passes by on his way back from school. Unpacking a toffee the sweet goes into his mouth and the wrapping on the street. As it was always done. As it was just done one minute early by the old man that had finished his beedee pack. A workshop can “Promote waste free tourism destinations” and get things started, but habits don’t change that easy.

A community workshop on waste management was held in Lava village in Kalimpong Subdivision of Darjeeling District. A German Expert spent three days in the village to train the villagers on waste separation and proper disposal.

The village is a popular tourism destination and the increasing amount of non-biodegredable waste has become an eyesore both for tourists and local people.

The programme was a joint initiative of ACT-Association for Conservation and Tourism, Help Tourism, Lava Hotel Owners Association, Lava Drivers Welfare Association, the village panchayat, and Byapari Sangathan.

Read the full summary of the workshop.