https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Being Eco-Friendly is His Mantra

By replacing ecologically unhealthy plastic utensils with those made of 'sal' tree leaves, IAS officer Ashish Thakare has taken a vital, pro-nature step in the Keonjhar district of Odisha. It’s impact, however, is huge as it has also started providing employment to a large number of tribal women.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Plastic waste is one of the major reasons behind melting glaciers and increasing global warming today. The thought never even crosses our mind that the plastic cup we are drinking out from or the plastic plate we just threw in the dustbin is the reason for ecological deterioration. But IAS Ashish Thakare’s initiative to go ecofriendly and use ‘khali’ plates, made of Sal tree leaves, instead of plastic ones, not only provided nature with a breath of fresh air, but also gave employment to score of tribal women in Odisha.

IAS Ashish Thakare replaced plastic cutlery with Sal leaf plates called ‘Khali’

Replacing Plastic with Sal

2011-batch officer of the Odisha Cadre, Mr. Thakare’s decision to replace one time use plastic cutlery with plates and bowls made out of sal leaves gained him accolades from the entire administration. Currently, he is the District Magistrate and Collector of Keonjhar, where he made the amazing decision of making cutlery out of sal leaves which is available in abundance in the region and is ecofriendly.

Keonjhar is a small district and till around a decade ago, every feast and function made use of beautiful plates made out of sal leaves, but slowly the urban trend of using disposable plastic plates spread its roots into the rural areas too. Plastic was cheaper and easier to avail, so people shifted onto it. Very soon, the picturesque locations of the district were stained with non-biodegradable plastic plates and glasses strewn all around. That is when Mr. Thakare realized that it was high time to go green.

“Keonjhar is well-known for its sal forests. Sal leaf products are a specialty here. It was about time we ditched the plastic for a cleaner & greener alternative,” he remarked in an interview

Manufacture of ‘khali’ plates

Promoting Eco-friendly Alternatives

Charity begins at home, and therefore before going out to convince the residents to go eco-friendly and start using sal leaf plates called khali, the officer decided to begin the usage from his own workplace,- that is the District Collectorate. He took out the entire plastic cutlery from his office premises, replaced these with khali plates and earthen cups. Anybody who enters the office is surprised to see sal leaf cutlery on the Magistrate’s place of work, and nobody leaves without appreciating the step taken.

Not only that, each and every person employed in the office is asked to bring his/her own metal or glass bottle to refill and reuse, thereby diminishing extra wastage. “The decision was officially adopted by a circular issued around a month ago. In addition to the sal plates, we were also instructed to bring our own water bottles to the office every day,” said Akshay Das, the head clerk at Keonjhar district collectorate.

Khali plates brought back decades long tradition

Employing Tribal Women

When khalis started getting replaced with plastic cutlery and utensils, the transition left a major impact on the forest-dependent tribal communities of the district, which is known widely for its sal forest stretches. The sole livelihood of these native dwellers depended on producing cups and plates out of sal leaves. Thousands of people were rendered jobless and were forced to give up their ancestral vocation due to the rising popularity of plastic utensils.

But with the comeback of khali plates, the tribes of Keonjhar have started regaining their employment. Today, numerous self-help groups in Telkoi, Banspal and Harichandanpur villages of Keonjhar have been allotted the job of securing these sal leaf plates and bowls on a huge scale

“More than 500 women are expected to be involved in the project and earn a sizeable monthly income,” informs Swapan Goswami, a nodal officer in charge of the project.

The initiative has employed numerous women and empowered them

The Keonjhar administration, under the charge of Mr. Thakare, is doing as much as possible for these tribal women. In order to ease their responsibilities at home, and reducing their stress of leaving behind their little children alone, the administration has opened a number of crèches, where the women can leave their children into safe hands and focus fully on their work, free of cost.

The initiative taken by the Keonjhar district administration is helping the nature to heal itself. It has also proved to be a boon to the numerous local tribal people who were forced to sit at homes due to lack of work. The sal leaf plates are not only reviving ancient traditions but are also empowering women strongly. It is true that a little step really goes a long way!


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
Complaint
Complaint Filed Against Senior IPS Officer for Sending Inappropriate Messages
Jammu and Kashmir Government
Three IAS Officers Assigned New Postings in J&K; Check Names Here
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Senior IAS Officer Rajendra Ratnoo Opts for Voluntary Retirement
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Puducherry
Scientific, Strategic, and Sustainable: How Dr Arulrajan is Transforming Puducherry’s Ecology
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT