NOIDA: Child is the father of man — these words by Wordsworth are applicable here, though in a different context. Every Sunday, Sachin, Vishal, Himanshu, Sudhanshu and Nikhil — children aged between 13 and 16 — are out on a mission to end a menace they didn’t even start. Led by their mentor, these kids from humble backgrounds tour the markets of Khoda Colony and urge shoppers and businessmen they refer to as uncle and aunt to shun plastic bags.
Yes, like other children around the world who are spreading messages on climate change, these five kids are putting into practice lessons they have learnt in their environmental studies class. They are guided by Shail Mathur, who earlier led a group of women in their drive against single-use plastic.
Sachin, who, at 16, is the seniormost among the five, is a well-known face among the vendors of Sector 55. “In school, we are always taught about the damage single-use plastic is causing to the environment. My classmates had told me about a group of women in Sector 55 who go around the colony trying to create awareness against the use of plastic. That was in 2015 or 2016. Out of curiosity, I tagged along with Shail Mathur, the mentor of the women’s group, one Sunday. On the first day, it felt like we were troubling roadside vendors for no reason at all,” said Sachin.
Five years down the line, their efforts have now been realised. On March 16, Ritu Maheshwari, the chief executive officer of the Noida Authority, gifted them bicycles. The Authority also recognised them as “swachhta doots”, or ambassadors of Noida’s Swachh Bharat mission, and encouraged them to cover more areas in the city.
Although there has been a ban on single-use across the state for years, the easy availability of the material has made both traders and shoppers turn a blind eye to the rules.
According to Sudhanshu, the vendors actually do not want to use plastic bags. “But they have few options. Bags made of paper or cloth are costly. And only one out of 10 customers carries bags to the market. The rest insist on plastic,” he added.
The group has also been distributing paper bags among the vendors and even shoppers who come to the market without one. To an extent, they have managed to persuade people in the neighbourhood to shun plastic.
Naeem Siddiqui, who sells fruits and vegetables in one of the congested bylanes of Khoda Makanpur, said it is the administration that should enforce the plastic ban strictly.
“Earlier, we used to fight and argue with Shail Mathur and her group. But when small children plead for something, it becomes difficult to ignore their request. At the same time, I would like to urge the authorities to take action against units that are manufacturing plastic bags. If you strike at the source, the problem will cease to exist down the chain,” said Siddiqui.
Sudhanshu is from a family of weavers while Sachin’s father works in a factory. The other three also come from modest backgrounds.
“We do not have any registered NGO or outfit, we work independently. We use the TREE logo, which means Taking Responsibility of the Earth and Environment. Now that all of us have bicycles, we will visit other markets in the city as well. But that can only be done after the annual exams of the children are over,” said Mathur, who stays in Sector 55.