“The biggest misconception is that someone else will if we don’t do it. There is no someone else.” Says 18-year-old UN Youth Leader and Environmentalist Siya Tayal. With a population of approximately 1.4 billion people, India is home to an army of potential environmental vanguards. Yet, the only thing the nation seems to capitalise on is its natural resources. According to a report released by The Centre for Science and Environment, per capita generation of plastic waste has doubled in the country over the last five years. India has lost over 90 per cent of the area under its biodiversity hotspots. Gurgaon itself is one of the worst affected cities by air pollution. A paradigm shift in mindset is required, and what better than the nation’s youth to propagate that change?
Young adults possess a unique sensibility towards the environment, primarily because the responsibility of the future falls upon them. Their desire to inherit a better world makes them the most capable candidates to tackle ecological challenges. When asked to describe the students in her classroom, Professor of Environmental Studies Dr. Anshu Ogra, remarked on the suitability of India’s youth to meet the problem at hand. “There is an acute awareness amongst the kids. After all, their generation is bearing the brunt of the environmental crisis. This awareness, coupled with experience, is likely to make the youth much more active participants in creating a change.” Said the educator. Similar remarks were made by Dr Mukul Sharma, who said that their innovative approach to problem-solving will prove to be fundamental for restoring nature.
However, it must be noted that the road to regeneration is not easily traversed. When dealing with environmental issues, youngsters must consider a wide range of social, political and economic contexts. They must also seek cooperation from the environmentally apathetic, which is a challenging feat. Finally, they must face the burden of bias from their superiors. These difficulties would be enough to deter anyone from their mission. Fortunately for us, a group of young activists from across Delhi NCR have already risen to the occasion.
Co-founders of Climate Action India, Veer Ojas and Manya Anandi, are two siblings who believe that the promise of a better tomorrow must drive us to act today. The 19-year-olds knew it was time for them to get involved when the PLPA Amendment Act, endangering 60,000 acres of forest land in the Aravalis, was passed in the state assembly. Emphasising the growing isolation of urbanites from nature, the two spoke about the importance of reconnecting locals to the environment. “We held walks with children through the Aravalis so they could establish a personal connection with the space. Those walks were important because now if their space is threatened, they’ll be urged to do something about it.” The duo told Suburblive.
However, nature walks can serve a different purpose for the rural population. After all, how does one concern themselves with sustainability when they’re still concerned about their next meal? Philanthropist Siya Tayal took it upon herself to find a solution. Through her initiative ‘My Own Bag’, she employed women in rural Gurgaon to stitch bags made from recyclable and new waste fabrics that would otherwise be dumped or incinerated. The project enabled multiple women to pay for their school tuition. Siya’s work proves that development need not occur at the cost of the environment.
It must be noted, however, that sustainability doesn’t always have to be practised on a large scale to be effective. Sometimes, the slightest changes in our personal lives can have a sizeable impact. This was precisely the mindset of 19-year-old activist Aditya Mukarji when he embarked on his door-to-door campaign. Advocating for the boycott of single-use plastic, he encouraged the public to adopt waste segregation in their households and opt for eco-friendly alternatives such as metal straws. “If each individual were to switch off the tap while washing their hands, they’d save scores of litres of water per day by preventing the water from running for that period.” Said Aditya to the team at Suburblive.
Unfortunately, despite these youngsters’ remarkable work, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Youth advocates and activists nationwide have been dismissed as ‘too inexperienced’ for far too long. Often, the age bias held by senior officials and administrators makes creating a meaningful change all the more difficult. “They don’t take you seriously,” says BBC’s Top Youth Environmentalist and Sustainability Consultant and TEDx speaker, 21-year-old Abhir Bhalla. He recounted when he first walked into the Delhi Railway Cooperation’s office to pitch his project ‘Swachh Chetna’. An officer uttered the words, “Aapki mummy kho gayi kya?” Suggesting that he had wandered into the wrong place.
To overcome such difficulties, these young minds needed to remain committed to their cause and let their work speak for itself. These youths recognise that our country’s dismal state of environmental affairs is their call to action and thus continue to do their part despite deterrents. However, these deterrents should only persist for part of the next generation of activists. Letting youngsters operate without hindrances and edging them on their sustainability journey is imperative to reclaim our environment. Environmentalism transcends all ages. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, if the effects of the environmental crisis do not discriminate, why should we?
Story inputs from Rianna Basu.
