#WorldEnvironmentDay: Celebs on how to keep the environment clean and pollution-free

If Mother Nature and our environment are in good shape, then human civilization, even the flora and fauna will be healthy. World Environment Day observed on June 5 worldwide creates awareness around the cause. It also highlights our responsibilities towards protecting our environment. Celebrities talk about how one can keep the environment clean and pollution-free and what they have been doing on a regular basis for the same. Read on:

Vijayendra Kumeria
The earth is our home, and our environment needs lots of care and love. Replacing plastic bags, and containers, planting trees, and insisting on a system of dry and wet garbage segregation at the residential complex where I live are some of the things I’ve done and turned into a lifestyle. So the sooner we realise it, the better, because it impacts us both directly and indirectly. Kudos to everyone who is determined to do their bit.

Ginnie Virdi
I’m very pollution conscious as I have a small child and old parents, so I want everything around me clean. My parents taught me since I was kid to not drop garbage on the road, we do not mix wet garbage and dry ones. We do not use plastic bags, we don’t get vegetables and fruit and groceries in plastic bags, but cotton or jute bags. We don’t waste water at all. My child is learning from me. I want the surrounding pollution free for her. That’s all an individual can do and take responsibility for.

Saanand Verma
I am going to buy an electric vehicle, its pollution free mode of transportation. This is one more contribution that I want to make towards this cause. As an individual, I do many things on a regular basis like I always switch off the lights when not required and put wet and dry garbage separately. My PUC (Pollution under Control Certificate) is also up to date all the time. I also try not to honk because honking creates noise pollution. People unnecessarily honk which is not good and it creates a lot of noise pollution. I think those big luxurious diesel SUVs should be banned completely and we all must switch to electric vehicles. Ban on plastic is important. In fact, the use of one-time plastic bags and bottles should be banned.

Nivedita Basu
I am very much into saving electricity. During the day, I don’t switch on the lights even at the office. In fact, my boss, Vibhu ji, jokes that at times he wonders whether we are in the office or not (laughs). I am not somebody who switches on lights, fans for no reason. I also don’t keep the tap open while brushing my teeth. I know somehow in my heart that fear is there that there is going to be a calamity of our natural resources and our basics, so even saving it for one person’s resources will help us in the longer run. Fortunately in our building, it has become a rule to separate wet and dry garbage. Planting trees is the best in Mumbai. We do not get the chance, but our Kerala home has greenery all around. In fact there we don’t need the Ac so much and the cool breeze is soothing.

Swaroopa Ghosh
Actually I just did a short film promoting the environment called Hawa Badlo. Also BBC Media Action’s Web series for YouTube Life Navrangi deals with environmental issues. As a civilian, I do all the things which most of the people are already doing, like avoid using plastic, keep water in the glass bottle rather than plastic bottles, switch off fans and lights when not in the room or do not waste water. These have been part of my lifestyle for a long time.

Hrishikesh Pandey
This is a very big issue which is very close to my heart. I come from the interiors, places where you have trees all around. Not a concrete jungle like the way we have in Mumbai. So in Mumbai too I have planted many trees, in fact wherever I have been, this is something that I always do along with keeping the environment absolutely neat and clean. It makes me angry when I see people travelling to hills or beaches, throwing bottles and plastic wrappers all over. This is so wrong. I make sure even when I am travelling, I carry my own bottle instead of buying water and also make sure even in my house I switch off the lights when not in use. Taps are not kept open in our house for no reason. I also tell others the same. Many laugh at me but they are not realising that this is not a small thing. Water crisis is looming large on us. I have recently travelled to places close to Nashik, and there are areas where there is an acute shortage of water. Some of us are wasting water and not realising that we really need to save it instead.

Anupama Solanki
Whenever I go to my home town Chandigarh, I always do gardening. I have a small garden area there and enjoy tending my plants. Apart from that I use less electricity as much as I can. There are lots of little things I do like wet and dry garbage that are kept separate in my house, we also don’t waste water.

Prem Raj Soni
The beauty of the movement is that even if you’re not a millionaire, you can make small changes in your everyday routine to make a difference. We are all in this together and the only way to survive is to make this a priority for us all. I try my best to be a responsible resident of this planet. I have plants at our home to be honest. I even gift plants to my friends on various occasions, as we feel these would be more valued than things like sweets etc. Ever since the ban of plastic materials was implemented, I have avoided using the material in any form. Plastic bags, straws and even plates have been substituted for cloth or paper ones. Also, another cause that I deeply care for is water conservation and at my level, I try my best and request everyone to preserve water during any household or personal work.