College students take to streets to talk about (pla)sticking points

15,000 students perform street plays, distribute cotton and paper bags in city, Konkan

MUMBAI : As Mumbaiites go on a shopping spree during the festive season, students from various colleges are urging them to shop in an eco-friendly manner.

Through street plays and rallies, the students are spreading awareness about the harmful effects of polythene bags. These plays are being performed at popular shopping centres, Ganpati pandals and other public places. Besides spreading awareness, the students are distributing cotton and paper bags among shoppers.

The anti-plastic drive began on September 8, the weekend before Ganeshotsav. Led by University of Mumbai (MU), around 15,000 students from National Service Scheme (NSS) units from more than 200 colleges from the city, suburbs and Konkan region are part of this campaign. So far, the students have distributed around 42,000 cotton bags and 31,000 paper bags in Mumbai and Konkan.

“People go on a shopping spree during festive season. Students are performing street plays and organising rallies to explain shoppers that they must use ecofriendly bags. The campaign has

received a good response, with students visiting most of the pandals in the city,” said Babasaheb Bidwe, NSS coordinator, MU.

He added most of the cloth bags distributed by students have been manufactured from old clothes and colleges too have come up with their own tailormade bags.

Institutes such as KC College, Churchgate, have made sewing machines available on the campus to make these bags. NSS unit of the college, which has been recognised as the best by the varsity, distributed these bags among shoppers at Bhuleshawar market. Moreover, the students performed street plays and raised

anti-plastic slogans at the market and Churchgate station.

“It’s important for us to understand that plastic has become a curse. Haphazard disposal of plastic is the main problem. Through our plays, we educate people about the correct ways disposing of plastic and its alternatives,” said Sharvaree Kowale, a student from KC College.

Similarly, students from RD National College, Bandra, conducted an awareness activity at Bandra Fort and distributed hand-made bags to the vendors outside the fort. A street play was performed on Linking Road to depict problems created by plastic waste.