‘Wall of Hope’ built using 15,000 discarded plastic bottles near Mussoorie

A 1500 feet long and 12 feet high “Wall of Hope” constructed using 15,000 discarded bottles collected from various sources in Mussoorie and the surrounding region to encourage the tourists towards better practice of ‘No littering’ was unveiled by at Bunglow ki Kandi village near Mussoorie by the gram Pradhan of the village on Tuesday.

The wall has been designed by Subodh Kerkar, founder, museum of Goa. “The wall has been built with the help of more than 50 volunteers from schools and colleges across Mussoorie, and village women from ‘Banglow Ki Kandi’ village near Kempty, who have worked tirelessly to cut and paint bottles, and fix them in the wire mesh,” said Arvind Shukla, project director of the NGO being run with the CSR fund from a multinational company.

Shukla thanked waste-collectors and restaurant owners in supporting the project and working towards making Mussoorie one of the cleanest hill stations of the country.

The installation is a part of Hilldaari project which aims to increase awareness about plastic waste management and the importance of creating a plastic-waste free environment, he added.

According to Subodh Kerkar, “The installation will draw structural strength from steel pillars being fixed two feet deep into the ground. We have created a prototype in Goa, and the structure is completely rain and wind proof. I hope the installation will inspire a sense of beauty and will complement the serene background of the hills.”

Sanjay Khajuria, director, corporate affairs of the multinational company said, “The wall of hope signifies our collective commitment to increase awareness about plastic waste management, through upcycling, which is a creative way to reuse plastic water bottles. Through the wall of hope, our endeavour has been to use art to send a strong message of ‘litter free hills’. We hope that this collaboration will enable us to make an impact in the coming years and inspire change that paves way for a better and beautiful tomorrow.”

Reena Rangad, Sarpanch, Banglo Ki Kandi, said, “The installation will attract more tourists to the area, while also spreading the message of responsible handling of waste. I hope the project will inspire up-cycling and recycling of waste and will contribute to the economic well- being of the people of the area.”