This World Environment Day, it’s very crucial for the government to come up with policies that actually make a difference towards creating a better future, however, there are many non-profits which are doing their best to fill this gap.
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. Let us all start making small efforts today to save our environment.
Here are 5 NGO's from Mumbai that are working towards environmental conservation.
1. Beach Please - This youth-driven NGO is a brainchild of 21-year-old Malhar Kalambe who’s also a UN award recipient for initiating this beach clean-up since September 2017. He had just started this initiative by sending a WhatsApp message to his friends for a clean-up at Dadar and now they have over 100 volunteers who have been successful in collecting over 360 tonnes of garbage so far.
Malhar Kalambe at Mithi River
2. Aarey Conservation Group (ACG) - In collaboration with Muse Foundation, Greenline, Agni, ACG is the new age initiative of Vinoba Bhave’s Chipko Movement. It’s an association of people from across Mumbai metropolitan area who are committed to protect, enrich and promote Aarey as a natural green recreation zone for the people of this city. They are working to make Aarey a preferred destination for Mumbaikars and visitors, a perfect green lush place for family outings. ACG is also committed to promoting and preserving all the other natural treasures of the entire city – its beaches, roadside trees, parks and mangroves.
ACG's protest at Nariman Point
3. Beach Pe - The concept of beach clean ups became mainstream when Afroz Shah initiated the move at Versova Beach. On Dana Pani beach in Malad, Afroz Shah along with Jay Waghela had started clean-ups which now takes place every Saturday. They have not only successfully collected tonnes of garbage but have also ensured that they recycle it.
The group in action
4. Earth5R -The 5R refers to Respect, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Restore. Situated in Andheri, it has started an Action, Collaboration, Transformation (ACT) campaign for Powai which includes solid waste management, sustainable livelihood program for communities, solar energy distribution, urban gardening and afforestation. Earth5R has also brought together citizens, ragpickers and local recyclers to create a niche of the community-based plastic recycling process.
5. Vanashakti - The non-profit whose thrust areas are forest, mangrove, wetland protection, environmental education for schools both urban and rural, livelihoods for forest-based communities and scientific investigation into local environmental degradation. One of the most successful result of their campaign was when they filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Bombay High Court and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) decided to drop the proposed widening of 20-km Shirsad-Ambadi Road in Thane district which would have resulted in 3,000 trees being cut.
It's time to start paying back our nature for everything that we have received so far, because nature has enough for man's needs but not for his greeds.
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