Rurka Kalan village plans to go carbon neutral by ’30
At Rurka Kalan village in Jalandhar, there are no garbage dumps, 3 billion litres of water a year is saved, women stroll casually at night, a heritage street emulates a green, small-bricked erstwhile village Sath (a village square where everyone gathers) and a thriving plant nursery. Armed with a newly elected woman sarpanch, Rurka Kalan plans to go carbon neutral by 2030.
One of the most progressive villages of Jalandhar, Rurka Kalan this year has elected a panchayat comprising six women panches (out of a total of 11) and is led by a woman sarpanch.
Akwinder Kaur, who became the village sarpanch, won by a margin of 1,475 votes (3,722 people voted in the village’s panchayat polls this year).
The triumphant villagers today led a huge procession, celebrating its newly elected women leaders. Such is the pull of the village that Sarpanch Akvinder Kaur, an NRI, shifted base to Rurka Kalan especially to serve the people.
Akwinder Kaur said, “My husband is a citizen of the Philippines and my son was also born there. My father-in-law had moved there and our family has business in the Philippines. But we have always stayed connected to the village, coming here each year. Two of my kids study here. In 2018, my husband won the Block Samiti elections and this year, I’m thankful to the people for having chosen me. I slowly wanted to shift back. Our village’s illustrious history and its environment was tugging at me. I love it here and have no plans to return. I’ll stay here and serve people.”
Akwinder Kaur said that the key projects on her agenda include developing the village as green belt and making it carbon neutral (by 2030); a gram panchayat office; a community hall to conduct weddings for village girls; revamping cremation grounds of the village in heritage style; making pucca roads where required and developing small industries etc.
Rurka Kalan already has a community water harvesting network (complete with soak pits and a pipeline), ponds treating village’s water discharge for irrigation purposes and a rainwater harvesting system. The village even got its pond water tested last year. To treat the E.coli bacteria found in these tests, the village is now planning pond wetlands —- small islands on each pond with plants which will absorb the E.coli from the water.
As if such meticulous planning wasn’t enough, the village also has a solid waste management unit which segregates dry and wet waste. The plastic waste go to factories for recycling, wet waste goes to a composting unit which produces manure to lend nutrients to the soil of the village’s nursery which has one lakh plants.
The development works in the village are the brainchild of Gurmangal Dass, the founder of Youth Football Club in the village and the mind behind its countless sustainability projects. Said Dass, “The village today celebrated its new panchayat which we are certain will further ensure its all-round development. Sustainability frees the mind. People breathe clean air, go out more, laugh more. After additional streetlights were provided, women started venturing out at night. More trees and more water means happier people.”
Led by woman sarpanch
One of the most progressive villages of Jalandhar, Rurka Kalan this year has elected a panchayat comprising six women panches (out of a total of 11) and is led by a woman sarpanch.
