The state government’s initiative of banning plastic was the need of the hour, says 44-year-old Thane resident Tarun Kumar Gautam, who once served for Indian Airforce and now works as a full-time social worker.
Tarun Kumar Gautam welcomed the state’s initiative of banning plastic adding that this was a very important step to curb the plastic menace. To make the most of the state’s decision, Gautam’s Earthkids Humanity Foundation will kick-off the ‘plogging movement’, where they will ask all the joggers to pick up the plastic waste on their way while jogging at Thane’s Yeoor hills from April 1, 2018.
The cleanliness drive will kick-off from April 1, 2018, where nearly 50 volunteers will start the drive from Yeoor gate to Patonpada, picking up plastic waste.
Plogging is interesting and result oriented. But I was not fully convinced if it would work in India because the mindset of Indians works in another way. When I approached my friends, only jogging and picking up plastic waste didn’t excite them. Then I thought, this activity needed customisation. Accordingly, my Earthkids Humanity Foundation will be organising plogging but in a different way. I will ask the interested members to opt for volunteering, doing charities, laughter therapy, yoga, dance and many more activities. Volunteers will enjoy this act for 3-4 hours and we will end up picking up plastic waste,” he said.
Gautam said that the process of registration is still open and so far, more than 85 registrations have been done for the plogging event. Tarun Kumar Gautam believes that this model of Plogging will definitely bring in change in the society and environment in the near future. Their foundation will follow only one motto i.e. ‘Planet First-Mission Always’ and they want nature lovers to follow the same.
Plogging is a combination of jogging with picking up litter and it started as an organised activity in Sweden around 2016 and spread to other countries in 2018, following increased concern about plastic pollution.
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