Keeping the Environment Ecologically Natural
KEEN was closely observed for a period of 1.5 years, then was given the privilege of contractually working with Nagar Palika Parishad to daily collect and transport waste for 1 year, initially from 2 wards, then from 8 wards. Most recently, KEEN has been contracted since September, 2019, with daily management of waste from all 13 Wards of Mussoorie.
We could comment about 6 workers in 2016, 16 workers in 2017, 14 workers plus 35 Mohala Samiti workers in 2018, and 5 to 9 supervisors plus 23 waste workers plus 93 Mohala Samiti workers since 2019.
- We will conduct regular and inclusive awareness drive to raise community ownership of the changed behaviour of waste segregation at the point of generation.
- We will sustainably and dependably remove waste daily from all residences, shops, restaurants, schools, hotels, and collect appropriate user fees to sustain our efforts and meet all costs of the programme of municipal solid waste management.
- We will empower all employees to access all programmes of self-help, of savings, and of health care opportunities, as supported by social services of, while simultaneously pursuing means of creating awareness of the need for sustainable waste handling: ie. use the waste receptacles; do not litter; segregate at source.
- We will engage in community and hillside clean-ups as necessary and as
- We will research and develop appropriate and sustainable processes to reach an end-of-life solution for waste: this may be by means of composting, by recycling, by repurposing the use of waste materials.
- We will identify ways and opportunities of duplicating and encouraging the use of sustainable methods of solid waste management for other locations and communities.
DANA CRIDER
KEEN is an NGO that was started in 1995 by an American teacher called Dick Wechter. At that time it was called CLEAN (Careful Learning from the Environment and Nature). Within a span of 2 years of inception, the NGO was managing the waste of 300 houses across the Landour the Landour. In 2005 Dana Crider, a maths teacher teaching at the Woodstock School, Mussoorie and a close friend of Mr. Dick Wechter, took over the management of KEEN and formed a fresh committee and members of the board. This is when the organization was registered as an NGO by the name of KEEN (Keeping the Environment Ecologically Natural).
