Sanctuary | Cover Story
Ragpicker is a term we unthinkingly
use for waste collectors. By virtue of
their work, they ensure millions of
kilograms of waste reach the recycling
units from our cities every day. For
their phenomenal service, we
prefer to address them as
Paryavaran Mitras (Friends
of the Environment).
Paryavaran Mitra is a
social enterprise based in
the Gandhi Ashram, where
we seek to bring holistic improvements in the life of these
amazing souls using Solid Waste Management as a tool. On the
awareness front, we facilitate and encourage the segregation
of waste at source as an article of faith, a value-system in
schools, offi ces and institutions. We also facilitate the recycling
of waste including plastic and paper. We advocate upcycling
by converting material into planters, curtains, and paper-based
products. All this brings dignity to these plucky individuals,
whose eff orts we estimated last year ended up preventing
2,500 metric tons of CO 2 from being emitted into
our atmosphere.I have a three-tiered eco-friendly mantra.- I have been using the same bottle for
the past 14 years and never buy bottled
water, not even to refi ll my trusted bottle,
which I carry everywhere and fi ll from
drinking water sources. 2. I use only
bio-degradable attire. I buy 100 per
cent cotton clothing. 3. I believe in
Five-Mug-Madras-Style Bathing. No
showers. Just fi ve mugs of water are
enough to stay perfectly clean. That
makes me feel much better, physically
and morally.
There are many ways to reduce one’s
own consumption, so that we take less
from the environment and give more
back. A simple way to do this is to carry
your own bag when you go shopping to
the market. I stock a few cloth bags in my
car and whenever I buy anything I don’t
need a bag from the vendor. I just
use my good old sturdy cloth bag.I have been organising
environment-friendly Holi
workshops at schools in
Barpeta, Assam through a
voluntary organisation called
Shubham. In 2017, with the
help of Aaranyak, we took the
campaigns to the educational
institutes located in the fringe
areas of the Manas National
Park. We shared how reds,
oranges, violets, yellows, and
blues could be obtained from natural ingredients including
beet, turmeric, specifi c herbs and seasonal fl owers. These
are harmless to living creatures including humans, and just as
much fun, I explain to people. And the children agree.”My decision to not
have a child is largely
because of our
already-burgeoning
population, and
the fact that the
deteriorating environment of our planet
is not suitable to raise a child. Rather than
putting more humans on our already
over-populated planet, one can always
adopt, and provide love and nourishment to
a child in need of a family. A child is a child
after all.
TThThThThTThThThhhhhheeeeeeeeee
owowowowowowowowww
frffrfrfrfrffrffrfomomomoomoomm
bababbabababababaacckckckckckccckck
yoyoyoyoyyoyoourururururururuuruurur
ththththththhhe e eee eeemmmmmmm
caccacacacacacacaarrrrrrrIIIIIhahahhahahhhahahahaaveveveveveveveveeeee- 1 1. 1 1. 1 1.1..IIIIIIIhhhhhhhhhaaaaa
ththththththththhe e ee e ee ppppp
wawawawawawawwawaateteteteteteteteteteeee
whwhwhwhwhwhwwhwhiciciciciciciccchhhhhhh
dddddddd
iiiiiiinknknknknknknnkkkkinininininininnnglglglglglglgglggyyyyyyyyyy
vvvvvvvvvviririririirirrtutututututututtutue e ee e eee eeofofofofofofofofof
oooooooonsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnsnnsooooooooooff fff f f f
eeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrececececececececececccycyycycycycycycycyclilililililililiiiingngngngngngngngngngngng
dadadadadadadadaaay.yy.yy.yyyyy.y.y..FFFFFFFFFFForororororororororooor
eeeeeeeeeeePurab Kohli, Actor, Mumbai
Ashish Agrawal,
Social Worker, AhmedabadVipin Rabindranath,
Corporate trainer,
BengaluruKuldeep Das,
Enviornmental activist, AssamMugdha Variyar,
Journalist, BengaluruSanctuary | Cover Story