- Water conservationist Sneha Shahi, 24 has campaigned against the use of plastic that chokes water bodies.
- Shahi cleared 700 kg of waste, including plastic, glass bottles, thermocol and construction debris from the Bhuki stream and its banks in Gujarat, bringing crocodiles back to the stream.
- Shahi has also worked on outreach programmes in multiple languages to raise awareness about water bodies to revive the ecosystem.
24 years old Shena
Sahji who has done her MA in Environmental studies enrolled herself in UNEP’s
"Plastic Tide Turner Challenge" started in her college, Maharaja
Sayajirao University of Baroda, in 2019 due to her interest in environmental
activities. She signed up 300 other students from her college and
eventually became one among the 18 affiliated members selected from the country
for this campaign.
She was the first
student to sign up when it was introduced to her college by the Center for
Environment Education (CEE), an implementing partner in the campaign.
"Plastic waste
and its irresponsible disposal have an adverse impact on our flora, fauna and land
water systems. Students being the future of the nation can act as effective
agents of change for their families and society at large. We will be calling on
schools across the country to be backing the Tide Turners curriculum so that
the next generation of Indian children are educated, informed and inspired to
act," said Shri Ravi Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of
Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
"As our
initial project we decided to clean up a drain or Nala inside the campus. But
later we found that it is a natural rivulet- home to several living organisms,
which was choked with plastic and solid wastes. Multiple factors have caused
this stream to look like a gutter but at certain patches, it has incredible
urban biodiversity. We checked the water quality and decided that despite
appearances it could not be compromised other than our hard work.” Sneha
explained.
The Bhuki stream
restoration project in Gujarat was born. During an initial clean-up, about 300
kgs of waste were removed, segregated and recycled. Bulk plastics and thermocol
were cleaned and molded into small planters and wall hangings. Glass bottles
were sent for recycling. The project was extended and overall the group removed
an enormous 700 kgs of waste from an 800-meter long stretch.
As the waste
decreased and the habitat improved, Sneha and her volunteers were delighted to
see the return of Gangetic Flapshell turtles and crocodiles who swam up the
tributary from the main river during the monsoon rains. Plant life and insects
have also returned.
Sneha said-"it
was not easy to obtain the ‘Tide Turners Badge’ and at times she was daunted by
the challenge, but she felt the issue of plastic waste was so little understood
that she had to persevere."
“When you first
look at the challenges, you might feel that you won’t be able to complete all
these levels. But I decided to give it my best and reach out to people and
stakeholders,” she explained.
Gradually the
campaign took momentum. Plastics shouldn’t be ending up in our streams, rivers,
oceans or forests. They are a man-made entity, it's completely our
responsibility to phase out single-use plastics and prevent it from entering
our ecosystems.”(source: UNEP news media)
“Nowadays
each time I pass over Bhukhi stream, I wait for some time on the bridge in the
hope of spotting a crocodile. Before, the chances of spotting one were low, but
now it's about 8 out of 10. This makes me so happy. Now, due to the regular
appearances of students, fences have been installed by the university.”
Sneha added.
"Previously it
was very difficult for us to make people aware about the environment. For most
of them, throwing garbage in public places and streams was a normal act. The
after-effects of such deeds were shared and it took some time to see them react
positively. Now public engagement with our clean-up project is really
commendable”
Today, when someone
throws plastic waste in public spaces, people question them and ask to take it
away. They used to join with us in cleaning activities and continue to do even
today with our junior batches. (Source: The Better India)
What is the Tide
Turners Plastic Challenge ?
The “Tide Turners
Plastic Challenge” Funded by the United Kingdom since 2018, has reached over
225,000 youth in 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. The
initiative is a crucial element of the British government’s pledge through its
25 Year Environment Plan to reduce ocean plastic.
Tide Turners is
also one key challenge of the Earth Tribe, a ground-breaking initiative that
offers young people an opportunity to learn and act around key environmental
issues aggregated on one platform, supported by UNEP. In India, it is backed by the government and will be rolled
out through 1,60,000 schools.
Sneha Shahi who has
always interested in various environmental activities since her childhood, now
pursuing her PhD in Extreme Hydrological Events at ATREE, Bengaluru says -“I
always had this affinity towards nature. The campaign has been a great
opportunity to meet some incredible people with different interests but one
goal — save our planet,” “I monitor the work of my juniors at Baroda and
work on a project in increasing resistance for people in agriculture.”
Now she is a youth
climate leader for WE THE CHANGE which aims to showcase climate solutions
pioneered by 17 young Indians. Shahi
has also worked on outreach programmes in multiple languages to raise awareness
about water bodies to revive the ecosystem.
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