India's largest 'charkha' made of waste plastic inaugurated in Noida

Noida: India’s largest ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel) made of used plastic waste was inaugurated here on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, officials said.

The 1,650-kg spinning wheel was inaugurated by Union Minister Smriti Irani, Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma, Noida MLA Pankaj Singh and Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari.

The spinning wheel has been installed in Sector 94 near the Mahamaya flyover.

The ‘charkha’, which symbolises Gandhi’s dream of Swadeshi (self sufficing and self reliance), measures 14 ft 20 ft 8ft and is made of 1,250 kg of used plastic, according to officials.

Lauding Noida Authority for its efforts, Irani said, “The gigantic spinning wheel is not only representative of construction and beautification but also represents our commitment towards the plastic-free campaign.”

The charkha has been recognised as the largest made of used plastic waste in the country by India Book of Records, Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari said.

Irani, the Women and Child Development minister, also inaugurated a ‘Pink Toilet’ in Sector 39 and flagged off 15 garbage collection vehicles.

“With 15 more vehicles launched today, there will be a total 140 vehicles going door-to-door for waste collection in Noida. In the coming week, 35 more such vehicles will be added to the fleet, ensuring 100 per cent coverage of Noida under the door-to-door garbage collection initiative,” Maheshwari said.

Noida Authority General Manager Rajeev Tyagi said the authority is focussing on raising awareness among the people for proper disposal of waste and recycling of plastic wherever possible.

“The effort would be scaled up in coming days and solid waste management improved,” he said.