Bangalore, September 13, 2013: Even as the civic authority kickstarted its campaign for an “eco-friendly” Ganesh Chaturthi earlier this week, 13-year-old Kavyashree M. had decided to make it her mission to reduce the festival’s ecological footprint.

While most of her friends, family and neighbours geared up for the big day, this Standard VIII student of Cambridge School saw the festive season as a “big opportunity” to persuade people to go green. Apart from urging people to buy unpainted Ganesha idols rather than the Plaster of Paris Ganesh version, she also went on a door-to-door campaign in her locality asking residents to immerse idols in a bucket rather than in the city’s overstretched lakes. “Sometimes people stare at me and tell me it not my business. But I make it a point to tell them that they do not own the lakes in the city.”

Her crusades for the environment have not been restricted to this festive season alone. Kavyashree, a resident of Devasandra, near Old Madras Road, is an active member of the Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness Club and has been actively following every move of the civic body — from its ambitious waste segregation programme to repairing potholes.

Waste segregation

Kavyashree has also been advocating waste segregation in her locality. “Biodegradable waste can be managed at home by composting. The only thing that we need to do is dispose of dry waste which can be recycled at the dry waste collection centres. There is a need to reduce and recycle waste to make sure that we do not put pressure on the landfills.”

Recently, irked by the heaps of garbage dumped in empty sites, Kavyashree called up the BBMP control room. “Citizens should be proactive and act as watchdogs of the government,” says the young activist. “We only hear people complaining about the inefficiency of the government. But my experience with the authorities has been very different. As soon as the call was made, they got the garbage cleared. Citizens and the government need to work together.”

After having had a “pleasant” experience with the authorities, she is now plans to take stock of the city’s notorious potholes and ensure she and her friends can have a “smooth ride” to school.

Not surprisingly, Kavyashree says she is now looking forward to Deepavali, “not for sweets or crackers but to raise awareness about noise and air pollution.”