Chennai: For the past few weeks, calls for climate change is echoing across the globe. With pollution spiraling out of control, several activists cry for measures. Numerous environmentalists and citizens in our city have also started initiatives to combat global warming.
Engineering graduate-turned-artist, B Gowtham’s campaign ‘Walk for Plastic’ has caught Chennai with volunteers turning up to collect plastic waste on the road. “I would collect waste materials from streets and make artworks from it,” he says.
More volunteers are signing up every week for the campaign and one among them is Shreevidhya from Vadapalani.
Speaking to News Today, she says, “Once I got in touch with Gowtham and came to know that Walk for Plastic is also held here.”
She then explains how it works. Using WhatsApp and Instagram, the head volunteer narrows down the place were everyone has to assemble. “We usually start between 5.30 am and 6 am. We have an Instagram page to share about upcoming walk. Many interested volunteers reach us through social media. We once walked from AVM Studio at Arunachalam Road in Saligramam for nearly four kms,” says Shreevidhya.
The volunteers have also covered roads at Valasaravakkam and Virugambakkam.
Once the volunteers assemble, the group covers a minimum of two kilometers collecting plastic waste, covers and other junks in a bag. “Sometimes we walk until we fill up the bags,” explains Shreevidhya.
The collected waste is then disposed at the nearest waste paper mart. The money generated from disposing this plastic waste is donated for environmental cause.
This initiative also has another benefit apart from cleaning the neighbourhood. The place gets cleaned and helps us to be fit, say volunteers.
For details, contact Shreevidhya at 89399 99033 or through Instagram @walkforplastic.