Tech to trash: Jorhat youth leaves IT career in B'luru, returns home to lead waste crusade
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Guwahati: When Shaklain Haque Jorhat for the bustling tech hub of Bengaluru, he had no idea that his journey would eventually lead him back home with a mission to tackle one of the city's most pressing issues — waste management.
Haque's passion for a cleaner environment began in his youth, when he and his school friends launched a community initiative called "It's Possible Jorhat." However, as the town's population grew, so did the mountains of garbage, and Haque realized that a more structured approach was needed. "Back in 2017-18, there was no action plan from municipal bodies for waste management, and we were clueless about the process," Haque recalls.
After earning his bachelor's degree in computer programming, Haque moved to Bengaluru in 2018, initially aiming for a career in IT. But his weekends were spent volunteering in community services, where he discovered a new calling. "I struggled to juggle classes and work, and eventually realized coding wasn't my passion. I dedicated myself to learning about waste management and joined a Bengaluru-based organization focused on it," Haque says.
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In Bengaluru, Haque gained invaluable experience working under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model, collaborating with companies to collect and manage waste. Despite his success, the worsening waste situation in Jorhat tugged at his heartstrings, prompting his return in 2021.
Back in Jorhat, Haque embarked on a mission to develop a structured waste management system. "We conducted a survey and found most waste was dumped in landfills.
This led us to draft proposals and seek CSR funding," he says. After three years of relentless effort, Haque's initiative finally received the green light.
Starting with two wards, Haque launched awareness campaigns to educate residents on waste segregation and encouraged them to use municipal collection services. His efforts paid off, transforming these areas into "dustbin-free zones" and eliminating notorious garbage blackspots.
With funds from his work, Haque established a unit for storing dry waste, addressing a critical gap in the local waste management infrastructure.
Today, Haque's team collaborates with other city-based NGOs in the waste management sector, with aspirations to expand their services to other districts.
Haque's journey from a tech enthusiast to waste management pioneer is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance in creating a cleaner, greener future for Jorhat.
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