Kala Murthi believes the best way to draw attention to a civic or social problem is to find a demonstrable solution for it. For the last five years, she has been silently but effectively campaigning against the dependence on plastic covers by making and distributing paper bags to vendors in her locality and surrounding areas.
Kala Murthi, a resident of Rathna Nagari in Teynampet, has retired from service at Reserve Bank of India.
“After my retirement, I volunteered to teach how to make paper bags and other paper craft at a school for children with special needs in Abhiramapuram,” says Kala, 70-years-old and a cancer survivor.
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After a few years, she had to quit this job as other commitments came in the way. She however continued to promote paper bags, but in a different manner.
She started making paper bags at home and distributing them to vendors in Teynampet and surrounding areas.
She goes up to Pondy Bazaar in T. Nagar and the Mada streets in Mylapore to hand over paper bags to vendors.
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“While handing over paper bags to vendors, I explain to them the harm that can result from using plastic covers,” says Kala.
She also stitches cloth bags from old saris and shawls.
“My relatives and friends who come to meet me now hand over old clothes to me,” adds Kala.
She makes an average of 200 to 300 paper bags and stitches five to seven cloth bags in a week.
Kala also gives away bags to guests paying her a visit.
Kala conducts storytelling sessions for children at her house with out charging any fee. She makes use of this an opportunity to teach children to make paper bags and they are allowed to take them home.
“I have distributed baskets to flower vendors at a few temples in our neighbourhood. As the cost of plastic covers is much lower than that of most environment-friendly bags, not all vendors are likely to switch over to the green alternative. So, I request people to get into the habit of carrying cloth or paper bags while shopping,” says Kala.
Kala has a dream of adopting a village, in whose residents she would instil a sense of responsbility towards the environment.
Her dream is to make this village a model of environment-friendliness. She is looking for like-minded people with whose support she could turn this dream into a reality.