Worldview Education conducts lake cleaning activity as part of its urban sustainability program
Hyderabad: In its constant endeavour to spread awareness amongst students on the importance of urban sustainability and to minimise the negative impact on the environment, Worldview Education organized an urban-sustainability dialogue and a lake cleaning activity as part of its FutureSake initiative. Around 80 students from five schools participated in the activity that was held at Manikonda, Hyderabad with support from the members of the Lanco Hills Community. The activity witnessed GHMC Zonal Commissioner (West Zone) Ms Hari Chandana Dasari, Kalpana Ramesh of SAHE, school teachers and principals also take part in the clean up drive held at the Manikonda Lake.
Silver Oaks School, Meridian School, Global Edge School, Oakridge International School, DPS Secunderabad are the five schools who participated in the activity. The activity began with a dialogue around urban-sustainability and the role that citizens play in it. After a few impactful conversations, the students were given instructions on the lake-cleaning activity, gloves and garbage bags were distributed and the cleaning mission began with students removing plastics bags, bottles among other recyclables and non-recyclables dumped next to the lake.
Commenting on the activity, CEO Sampreeth Reddy of Worldview Education said, “No matter how hard we try to keep our natural bodies unspoiled, there is some kind of human activity that hampers their purity and sanctity. At Worldview, we believe that Schools are the Primary Engines of Positive Change. With the right guidance and mentorship, they can bring about a lot of changes in the society and the environment around them. It is this generation or the Gen Z that needs to evolve as a generation of solvers, as they will be grappling with the environmental hazards in the future. They need to utilize their power as an individual and influence decisions, be it in their home or in their neighbourhood, and adhere to sustainable practices.”
GHMC Zonal Commissioner (West Zone) Ms Hari Chandana Dasari, who has been supporting several urban sustainability innovations, urged the students to bring about small changes starting from their home. She said, “Active citizen involvement is mandatory to bring about a positive change in the society. We should refuse plastics completely and embrace environment-friendly alternatives such as earthen cups or palm-leaf cups that are not harmful to the environment.”
Kalpana Ramesh, a city-based architect who has been working towards reviving the lakes in the city, said, “Most of the lakes in the city have turned to dumping grounds or been encroached completely. Hyderabad had over 3000 lakes, which were largely used to provide drinking water to the citizens. Today, the city has lost most of its lakes due to mismanagement and careless attitudes. Instead of completely being dependent on the government bodies to take action, we as citizens need to come together and take little effort to be the agents of change in this mission.”
After the lake-cleaning activity, students thanked the workers from the GHMC for their relentless efforts in cleaning the trash and filth accumulated in the city. An interactive session was also held for the students, where they discussed problems and solutions to eradicate the use of plastics in the city. The students pledged to serve the nation and be the catalysts of change. Worldview also announced that they have developed urban-sustainability immersions in Singapore and San Francisco as part of the FutureSake initiative. Through these immersions, the students can experience and study how some of the most sustainable cities in the world are solving the urban-sustainability challenge.