Khurkot Majhi community turns plastic waste into opportunity

Along the banks of the Sunkoshi River in Sindhuli, the Majhi people have long relied on fishing for their livelihood. Their relationship with the waterways is more than just economic; it is cultural, intricately woven into their identity and way of life.

However, in recent years, this vital resource and tradition have been threatened by the increasing plastic pollution in rivers and the resulting fall in fish population. Most community members have had to seek alternative sources of livelihood, with many working as daily wage labourers and subsistence farmers. According to a local, currently, only 30–40 percent of the community remains partly dependent on fishing, with just 5 percent relying solely on it, while the rest have had to seek alternative sources of income.

In the face of this looming environmental crisis and cultural threat, there also lies an opportunity: to work closely with the Majhi people to keep the rivers clean, uphold the long-held tradition of fishing, and create an alternative source of income for the community. Few are as attuned to the importance of clean rivers as the Majhis. They could become key agents in preserving the health of our rivers while also generating economic value from them to support themselves.

A test of resilience

But just as the community was beginning to embrace these new skills and ideas, disaster struck. In Oct 2024, heavy rains caused the Sunkoshi River to swell, destroying many parts of the Khurkot and Mulkot areas of Sindhuli. Homes were submerged, farmlands were washed away, and the community faced significant destruction, with many families having to reside in temporary settlements. 

“The floodwaters had completely entered our homes,” recalls Mina Majhi, a 21-year-old trainee living in Khurkot’s Majhi Basti. “Our community was nearly swept away. But we didn’t lose hope.”

Like Mina, other trainees also faced significant personal damage. Kalu Man Majhi, a 56-year-old farmer, explained how the flood had ravaged much of his farmland. During our scoping visit in July, he had generously offered us some fresh watermelons he had just begun cultivating, alongside corn, legumes, and paddy on his once-fertile land.

“Most of my farmland has been swept away by the floods, but I’m still hopeful I can grow watermelons on what remains.” Despite the devastation, Kalu Man has found a way to remain optimistic.

He also shared that he has started making additional cash by selling high-value plastic to local buyers.

 

Hope amid disaster

Amid the flood’s devastation, many members of the Majhi community have already started putting what they learnt from the training to use. They have embraced the concept of plastic recovery and are actively collecting plastic waste from their homes, surroundings, and riverbanks.

During our visit in late November, we discovered that all trainees had begun collecting plastic waste, with many also selling it to local waste buyers and aggregators, generating extra income at varying levels.

Ek Bahadur Majhi now earns an additional Rs 1,200 per week from selling PET bottles. While it is a small amount, he says, the extra income has provided a positive boost as he rebuilds from the flood-induced damages. He had recently completed the construction of seven fishponds on his land by the Sunkoshi river bank with plans to start commercial fish farming. The venture had just begun generating income when the floods damaged the fishponds. He had also opened a hotel in Khurkot Bazar a few years ago, which was yielding good profits, but the damage along the highway has severely impacted his business.

Ek Bahadur explained that before the training, he often overlooked the plastic bottles left by customers at his hotel. Now, he makes a conscious effort to collect them and sell them to local buyers.

“Due to pollution and other climatic factors, the fish population in the Sunkoshi River has significantly decreased, but the demand for fish from customers is increasing. So, I am determined to continue my plans for fish farming. I am positive it will happen,” he claimed.

In another example, Chankhey Majhi now earns an average of Rs 1,300 per week from selling recyclable waste, adding up to Rs 5,200 per month. He has been employed as a waste collector by the Golanjor Rural Municipality for the past four years, where his work entails collecting waste from Khurkot Bazar and disposing of it at a designated site. He shared, “I learnt about the negative impact of plastic pollution. Plastic has become an integral part of our lives, and we’ve been using it excessively. We need to be more mindful of our plastic use, especially single-use plastics, which should be avoided whenever possible.”

He continued, “I also learnt that waste can be used to earn money. Previously, my team and I would dump all the waste collected at the disposal site. Now, we separate and collect recyclable materials and sell them to local buyers.”

From his additional income, he has started saving roughly Rs 1,500 per month in a local cooperative.

In another somewhat different instance, 32-year-old Binu Majhi has started collecting plastic waste from her household and the surrounding area, storing it in a net, and selling it to small-scale buyers, earning a modest supplementary income. Her main motivation is to maintain a clean environment around her home, especially after learning about the damaging effects of plastic pollution. Keeping up with the household chores and subsistence farming takes up most of her time, but the additional income has been an added bonus. Occasionally, she donates the collected plastic to informal waste collectors, feeling satisfied knowing her contribution supports their livelihood.

Vision for future

These experiences of the Majhis in Khurkot showcase their resilience, not just in bouncing back from disaster but also in adapting and evolving in ways that benefit both the environment and the local economy. However, the path forward requires more than just individual will and effort. 

While the immediate benefits of plastic waste collection, such as supplementary income, are clear, the broader impact can go far beyond temporary financial incentives. The Majhis have demonstrated that local communities can offer an important insight into how we can leverage local knowledge and community engagement to tackle pressing global challenges like plastic pollution. The next critical step lies in strengthening the plastic waste value chain and achieving systemic integration. This involves improving waste collection infrastructures at the local level, capacitating local waste aggregators, and implementing policies that incentivise recycling and promote circular economies. By creating a more supportive system for plastic waste management, we can ensure that efforts like those of Ek Bahadur, Kalu Man, and Binu have a broader, lasting impact on both the environment and the livelihoods of people in Khurkot and other regions facing similar challenges.