Earth Day - Concerns of an Indian

Dear Reader,

This message from me contains the anxiety and intolerance inside me.

The below message written straight from the heart, feeling the pain of the sins we have done in the past and continue it till date for passing it to the future.

I’m writing this in a belief that this mail might bring in a small change in minds of people thereby creating awareness on environmental cleanliness and reducing pollution.

First I wish to put forward a few questions

1.We blame the industries and fuels for polluting the environment, is it only the industries and fuels those contribute to environmental pollution? Don’t we do that from our own homes?

2. What do we do practically other than sharing ideas and making lectures?

3. Can environmental pollution be stopped by an individual or do we need to build a team that forms an endless chain?

Secondly I place in front of you the painful things (brutal murders of environmental cleanliness I can say) that I experienced (most of my experiences and suggestions will be based on the Indian sub continent, a small contribution to my mother nation).

1. Recently when I travelled from Tindivanam to Chennai by road I was taken to utter shock by what I witnessed on my journey. The road dividers and road sides which I noticed years ago a child was filled with green shrubs but now the scene in front of my eyes created horror in me. The dividers and the road sides were filled with tonnes and tonnes of plastic bags disposed by road travellers.

2. Consider the case of one of the largest railway networks in the world, the Indian Railways. An awesome network that connects a country with diversified culture and various landscapes making mass transportation of people and goods a more people friendly network. We Indians should proudly salute the Indian Railways for such a dedicated service. But while looking into the fact on the other end the Indian Railway serves as tool for causing environmental pollution. Despite of laws even today we can witness Railway vendors selling food and beverages in plastic containers. More over every train compartment do not have a proper waste bin. I seriously doubt that there is a proper waste disposal system in Indian railways. As an end result a common Indian passenger is bound to throw a plastic container out of the train compartment window. Imagine the number of travellers per day in Indian railways and the tonnes of Garbage littered!

3. How many of us carry shopping bags? It has become so convenient so that even if we go with bare hands we can carry our purchase (anything from garments groceries and vegetables) in a more convenient plastic bag provided by the shop keeper. Assume the case of a common Indian citizen in town who buys vegetables, he or she for sure will carry 3 to 5 (or even more) plastic bags every time. Sum up the tentative plastic bags consumed and littered in a day all over the nation!

4. In his or her life time an Indian citizen or say an Indian family will invest in the following, a dining table, a cot, wooden chairs or stools and may be racks for kitchen as well as other purposes. All made out from a trees death! What has the person who invested on dead wood contributed to the natural oxygen Generator other than reducing the oxygen Generation by destroying a tree or even more?

As you are aware the we can have endless above such cases, but what is the solution to this? What can we do to reduce these brutal murders?

After years of serious thought over the above I’m sharing the practically possible solutions below,

1. The Abdul Kalam way – Inspire young minds. During our holidays we plan for great trips, why not spend one day in a school volunteering to educate the kids to reduce littering and plant more trees by means of a small workshop? In this no doubt that case every seed we sow will become a beautiful Garden in many young minds. Targeting those schools where there is less awareness will be more fruitful.

2. The basics we can do. We can start carrying our own re-usable bag from home for purchases to avoid use / littering of more plastic bags.

3. Send a request to Indian Railways for working out a workable garbage disposal system and a workable anti-litter awareness campaign. I here by request ‘V’ to draft a letter so that it can be passed on to a considerable friends circle for acknowledgement and later pass it on to the Indian railway minister with a copy to the President of India. Even feasible solutions for suggesting in the letter are most welcome (V & R – your opinions please).

4. The Good old Fashion. Why not to carry a bag from home for shopping like the good old days? Each one of us can contribute by not accumulating disposable plastic bags.

5. Take a step ahead. Going on a picnic or on a travel. Take initiative, request your picnic team or your co-travellers not to litter collect the waste in a single bundle and dispose them safely. Why to feel bad or shy off for protecting our mother earth? Remember you might inspire at least one person by doing so and this awareness might become contagious too!

Kindly let us join hands and try to imply any of the above possible ways, more practical suggestions are also welcome.

I wish to give this a good start (let me not call this as an conclusion) by the inspiring words that we have heared many times before,

“Awake, Arise, Stop not till the goal is achieved”.