Children held boards which read “Say No to plastic” “Plastic Thrills but Kills” on a Saturday morning near Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (KBR) Park, much to the amazement of the regular joggers and walkers.
These children were students of Phoenix Greens School of Learning, Gachibowli.
They were a part of the “Say No to plastic” campaign organised by The Hindu Young World.
Be aware
Gathered at the crack of dawn, the students had a long morning ahead as they spread awareness on the harmful effect of plastic on the environment and health.
They not only spread the word with their placards but also distributed jute bags to the passerbys.
Sunil Kumar Gupta, Member, Environment, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), and Mukesh Kumar Ex-Hockey Captain of India and Arjuna Award winner had a brief conversation with the young students urging them not to use plastic and explained the harmful effects of plastic on health.
They, along with students and visitors at the park, participated in the signature campaign during the event.
“Such campaigns which involve school students should be encouraged.
hey bring a change in the attitude from the root level itself,” says Mr. Sunil Kumar Gupta.
“Often we put food in plastic covers and store in the refrigerator.
This is harmful to the health and may lead to cancer as well,” explained Mukesh Kumar, former captain of the Indian hockey team and Arjuna Award winner to the young keen audience.
Students were told about the HMDA operation to clean Hussainsagar lake and were told to spread the word of keeping the city clean by not throwing plastic in the water bodies and parks.
Apart from being a corporate social responsibility drive, the children's campaign was aimed at addressing the growing ecological problems with the rampant use of plastic and and to nip it in the bud.
To use jute or cloth bags as a replacement for the harmful plastic bags made out of petrochemicals was the message the children spread as they distributed jute bags to the vendors at the park.
“We will stop using plastic at home from now on. While distributing the jute bags, we felt we were saving our earth,” says Oorja Ifthekhar, Std. V, Phoenix Greens School of Learning.
Incidentally environmental awareness is a regular activity at the Phoenix Green. The management of the school organises campaigns within the school to inculcate social responsibility in the students.
“It has been our effort that children grow up being aware.
We have already done sapling planting, one near the Commissioner's office," says B.S. Reddy, Managing Director, Phoenix Greens School of Learning.
