Mumbai: National Service Scheme (NSS) members at IIT-Bombay have collected over 4,000 kg of old and unused clothes for donation this year. With the fifth edition of the collection drive continuing till June, the figure may go up.
The drive takes place in three parts. Last October, clothes were collected from the hostel inmates. NSS volunteers placed cardboard collection bins in common areas, where students could leave their unused clothes. In April, volunteers approached the quarters of professors and non-teaching staff for toys and old clothes. And in May, graduating students can donate clothes, mattresses, bedding, and possessions they do not need as they leave the campus.
“Graduating students always have clothes they don’t need, because they can’t take their possessions off the campus. This is a chance for them to donate,” said Prathyusha Barre, NSS student coordinator and third-year electrical engineering student.
Clothes are donated to NGOs, including Green Yatra and Kamal Arnav Trust, who then oversee their distribution. “Along with the clothes and other items from IIT, we collect donations from households and corporates, accumulate them at our warehouse, and segregate them. We then take them to interiors of Maharashtra, especially Adivasi padas, which are really in need of clothes and utensils. We always get a good response from IIT and it’s nice to know that students develop a social conscience that can be moulded when they join the workforce,” said Durgesh Gupta, founder-trustee of Green Yatra, and an environmental lawyer and activist.
Students appreciate the chance to prevent wastage. “We accumulate many T-shirts from clubs or events because of their sentimental value, and after a few years, we stop using them. Our preferences keep changing, so we have many unused clothes. This is a great solution,” said Saugata Haldar, second-year civil engineering student.
Big hit on campus
“It is quite a hit on the campus, and after the graduating students’ contributions, we expect to have collected over 5,000 kg,” said Vaidehi Mahajan, events head at NSS and second-year mechanical engineering student. “For our April collection, people had kept clothes ready by March. When we were about to close, professors reached out saying they have more clothes.”
