Press Release
Young Environmentalists Programme Trust Mumbai in partnership with UNDP India’s Plastic Waste Management team conducted a Christmas Clean-up Drive at the Powai Lake on Wednesday, 23rd December to educate the community on waste management.
Keeping social distancing and PPE in place participants came together and collected plastics from the Powai Lake source areas of footpaths and sewage entrances. They conducted a research and examined hundreds of pieces of litter that were found.
“Together we need to identify and understand what types of trash end up in the Powai Lake which ultimately flows into the Mithi River and into the Oceans, so that we can control them at source. Segregation of waste logistics is vital. Young Environmentalists Programme is glad to collaborate with UNDP’s Plastic Waste Management project in Mumbai to help with research, community and youth education on Plastics Recycling and Management. Together, we intend to collect data, with this information we aim to roll out strategic activities aiming at behaviour change among citizens and stem the flow of plastics into our water-bodies” Said Elsie Gabriel Founder Young Environmentalists Programme Trust Mumbai.
Elsie has collaborated with UNDP’s Plastic Waste Management Programme team in Mumbai for the North East Mumbai Zone as Citizen’s Waste Management Ambassador.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is implementing the Plastic Waste Management Project (PWM) in Mumbai in partnership with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and several Implementation Partners like Aasra Welfare Association (AWA) towards strengthening existing systems and processes in Municipal Solid Waste Management value chain to reduce the impact of plastic waste on human life and environment, thus directly addressing SDGs 12 &15.
Going a step further towards increasing citizens’ awareness and participation, the Plastic Waste Management team will be collaborating with Young Environmentalists Programme Trust Mumbai in the Northeast Zone of Mumbai, as there is an increasing need to promote Community development and Education programmes on Plastic Waste Recycling and Management through interactive waste education outdoors like the Powai lake Clean-up. Many such activities will be conducted once every month to attract more like-minded citizens from all strata of society.
Over 10 Kgs of waste was collected during the clean-up drive, while maintaining physical distancing and ensuring PPE usage. The S ward Lake Karamcharis were felicitated for their constant work despite isolation looming large over the last ten months. What better way to celebrate Christmas and the year end of 2020 than to give back to Planet Earth!
Adds student Aditya Pande of Powai, “Today’s Clean-up drive for Christmas was very exciting as I learnt that small changes make huge differences later on and to be able to contribute to the world, you have to start in your neighbourhood. This helped me in my projects and service activities in school as I felt happy giving back to the community and distributing goodie bags and cleaning the lake area and seeing that the conditions have improved since the last few times I came for Powai Lake Clean-ups.”
Meanwhile Olive D’Souza from Powai says, “Need of the hour is to Save Powai Lake. BMC should keep bins inside the lake boundaries. Tourists and visitors should stop throwing garbage on the inside of the lake retaining wall too.”
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