'People have limited understanding about environment'

Four years back, NGO ‘Jividha’ was set up in the city to work for conservation of nature and bio-diversity. Rajiv Pandit is the founder president of Jividha. He was honoured with late Dr Dhananjayrao Gadgil environment protection and conservation award last year by Sneshalaya, an Ahmednagar-based social organisation. Pandit tells DNA about the activities of the NGO and its future plans.
 
Please throw light on the activities of Jividha.
Jividha is working to improve the environment via different mediums. It is undertaking projects independently and also collaborating with other organisations. So far, we have realised that the common man has limited understanding of some of the environmental issues like importance of bio-diversity and impact on our habitat if it is not conserved. Questions like these are often overlooked by us. Excessive consumption or usage of plastic, electricity, vehicles, water and unwarranted expenditure during festivals and religious occasions often leads to environmental degradation. Jividha is working to create social awareness about such issues and bring change in the mindsets of masses.

Can you elaborate about the environmental activities run by Jividha?
Children of Nane Maval have collected comprehensive information about their village regarding economic condition, water resources, cattle, crops, vegetation, cleanliness (sanitation) and health. They have published information in the form of booklets that would help in the development of the village. We had conducted such programmes in Pune’s rural areas like Thoran, Jambhivali and Talawade.
 
What about the environment awareness projects for students?
We have been conducting various projects for students. The Nisarga Maitri Camp (eco-friendship camp) project deals with environmental education for rural students. The students of Golden Glade High School of Karanjgaon in Nane Maval are being taught for last three years about the habitat and their lifestyle along with the environment of the village.

Under the school garden project, students from ten primary schools in Maval created gardens around their schools and are nurturing them. Students have also created a vermiculture plant. Under the Nisarga Sanvardhan (nature conservation) project, students from two schools — Nane Maval and Pavan Maval — have taken up the initiative to conserve nature.

Is your organisation working to create self-employment among school dropouts?
Maval has rich heritage of forts, caves and temples in the areas of Wadgaon, Nane and Pavan. There are children who drop out of schools and migrate to cities to earn a living. We are trying to create self-employment opportunities for such school dropouts by training them as ‘field guide.’ Educating the youth about the historical and geographical importance of these monuments would help them to guide tourists and trekkers visiting this region.

What are the other activities undertaken by Jividha?
Jividha organises different study tours. Teaching the youth about wildlife, birds, flora and fauna and insects is the primary purpose of these tours. Studying local environment, habitat, lifestyles and historical monuments is also part of these visits. These tours are conducted under the guidance of experts. Every year we arrange 5 to 6 such tours.

We also organise sessions on environment every second and fourth Wednesday at the Ramchandra Rathi High School, off Law College Road. We have a collection of many green books with us. Our aim is to create a library.