In India too, young minds have been taking steps, both big and small for creating a sustainable future. 

Here’s a list of young Indians who have been nothing less than winds of change to influence a 180 degree shift when it comes to our environment. 

1. 6-year-old Jannat from Srinagar embarked on a mission to clean the Dal Lake.

Disturbed with the mess created by tourists who visit the iconic Dal lake, Jannat along with her father embarked on a mission to clean the lake. She has been urging people to use dustbins and not to throw garbage in the lake.

Last year, PM Modi also lauded the young girl’s efforts in maintaining the beauty of the lake.

2. 11-year-old Ridhima Pandey was instrumental in filing a climate change petition at the UN Climate Action Summit.

She was one of the 16 children who filed a legal complaint at the UN to protest the lack of government action against climate change.

The Uttarakhand floods of 2013 left a profound impact on 6-year-old Ridhima. Since then, she has become an advocate and the driving force behind a petition before the National Green Tribunal on how the government has failed to scientifically tackle climate change.

In 2017, talking to Tribune India, she said:

“I was very sad. Everyone around me was suffering. Many people had lost their families. A number of animals were dying. We would discuss at home why this was happening.”

The class 6 student from Haridwar was also invited to participate in a conference on climate change in Paris. 

3. Bilal Ahmad Dar took upon himself the task of cleaning the Wular Lake in Kashmir.

Bilal, a ragpicker from Kashmir, has been actively involved in collecting garbage from the Wular Lake. After his father’s death Bilal took the initiative to collect the trash from the lake and thought this will clean the lake and become a means of earning a livelihood for him.

According to reports, has has cleared approximately 12,000 kgs of trash from the lake. In 2017, he was appointed the brand ambassador of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for being an inspiration to many others. He was also featured in a documentary, Saving the Savior—Story of a Kid and Wular Lake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3lOg3oZidc

4. Gautam Dayal, a class X student created a website to unite people towards their fight to save the largest lake of Bengaluru.

Gautam lives in an apartment complex situated in the Bellandur lake’s catchment area. Over the years, the lake has turned into a waste dumping ground. 

When the authorities failed to prevent the further deterioration of the lake, Gautam started an online campaign for the same.

5. 16-year-old Anubhav Wadhwa created a company which recycles used tyres without harming the environment.

His venture collects old tyres from people’s homes, which are then recycled into fuel and steel to be reused.

6. 14-year-old Ridhi Jayaprakash raised ₹7,000 to clean up a lake in Bengaluru.

The Chunchaghatta Lake in Bengaluru has now turned into a garbage dumping ground. When the residents of the area decided to take matters into their hands, Ridhi too volunteered and went on from door to door to collect money for the cleaning of the lake,

7. A group of kids from Gurugram built a robot that could solve India’s waste problem.

The robot built by the teens identified and segregated different kinds of waste and transferred it into the garbage bin, making recycling much easier. The team also won a prize at the 13th World Robotic Olympiad in 2016.

May we continue to see these talented young achievers work towards a more sustainable future.