17 women, 300+ families, and zero public dustbins: How one Himalayan village tackled garbage and became one of the cleanest in India
The change began in 2017, when Dawa Choden Bhutia, brought together 17 local women to form a group called ‘Swachhata Sahayogi’. At first glance, Phadamchen (also Padamchen) of Sikkim looks like many other Himalayan villages. It is surrounded by forests, sits more than 8,000 feet above sea level and attracts tourists travelling along Sikkim’s old…