Save the Earth: A challenge accepted by students to remove plastic pollution.

 by the students of Swami Gangapuriji Adarsh Vidyalaya, Nugar

1 How can we save the Earth? This was an essential question put forward to the students of Swami Gangapuriji Adarsh Vidyalaya, Nugar. The answers in response were related to real life problems which intimidate the whole world. ‘By fighting pollution’ emerged as the top answer. The students discussed about the ill effects of pollution faced by the world at large and it being a major obstruction in the path of leading a healthy life in India. The teacher initiated the thought that the work load of Environmentalists was huge .The students were motivated enough to suggest extending help of any sort to supplement the work done by Environmentalists. Their teacher, Mr. Vinod Solanki, had met his objective.   Swami Gangapuriji Adarsh Vidyalaya, Nugar is a residential school that serves the physically challenged students of a backward area of Nugar. Mr. Vinod Solanki initiated these children to rise above their deficiencies and concentrate on the needs of the community at large. The students were given the confidence to regard themselves as solution providers. They decided to eliminate this critical problem from society and start a campaign to remove plastic pollution from the village. To make the campaign successful they opted to use technology as their strength. Under the guidance of Mr. Vinod Solanki, students of Standard 8th and 10th started the project, where after a short brainstorming session, students were divided into small groups and directions were given to work accordingly.   Keeping in mind the attitude of the people who were in a habit of using plastic, one group of students decided to lead by example. They themselves collected the plastic waste for 10 consecutive days from the local area of the Nugar village. They acquired first hand information on the huge amount of plastic waste collected daily. The second group conducted surveys regarding need to use plastic by local residents and suggested alternatives wherever possible. Third group researched facts about the repercussions of misuse of plastic from the Internet and digital encyclopedias. They then designed posters based on the researched information to create awareness. Graphs were prepared according to the data submitted by Group 1 and Group 2. Students of standard 10 prepared a presentation about the whole procedure, analysis, evaluation and solution which was showcased to all. The facts researched from the Internet plus digital encyclopedia and charts prepared by analysis of inserted data in spreadsheet helped a lot to prepare the presentation. It was an exact showcase of the ground realities hence helped to convey the message effectively. Preparing it as well as the posters was a responsible job as it was done with the purpose of inspiring against non use of plastic by all villagers for a long period of time. Students got appreciation from the society which boosted their morale. They went a step further and contacted Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) to gather the information regarding steps taken to resolve the problem of plastic pollution. GPCB supported students and handed over 100 posters on plastic pollution which students used to educate the villagers, teachers, parents and other students. The students talked to the villagers regarding removing plastic pollution from the village and after including the feedback of villagers submitted a letter to GPCB about resolution of the problem. The constructive endeavor of the students increased their adrenalin level and brought a smile on their faces. The villagers of Nugar village, by and large, have replaced plastic carry bags with cloth bags. Green grocers are giving cloth bags after collecting Rs.10 as a refundable deposit. People have been made aware about ill effects hence send used plastic for recycling. Milk is transported in glass bottles and has replaced plastic bottles. Villagers have contacted Gram Panchayat for the permission of proper drainage system of bad wastes and got permission for the same. Working on a project based assignment and seeing the response of the villagers, the students and teachers learnt that if awareness can be spread, it is not difficult to resolve any social or human issue. They also realized that to spread awareness effectively, the medium of technology is a must .They experienced the power of technology while collecting the information as well as at the time of presentation and showcasing.