IISER campus at its Eco-front

Eco-Champions of IISER

Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research

PRUTHA is a group of people at IISER campus, Pune who are interested in environmental activities, primarily in making the campus more eco-friendly and increasing awareness about green issues. It was begun by members of the 2008 and 2010 batch who felt that the importance given to the environment needs to be further emphasized, and that it is essential to be conscious of the effect we have on it. Since then, Prutha has carried out several awareness activities and attempted to implement ideas on campus aimed at reducing the waste generated.

On-going Activities:

1. Prutha is currently experimenting with the segregation of plastic and tin waste. Specially designated receptacles have been placed at various points in the campus for collection for each kind of solid waste. This collected segregated material will be handed over to the Sagar Mitra foundation for further processing. (www.sagarmitra.org).
2. The collection of paper waste in marked crates at different points on campus is a regular activity. The material thus collected is handed over to a local vendor. 

Vastrasamman is an initiative that aims at collecting used clothes that are in good condition to donate to the underprivileged. Prutha has been successfully running this project at IISER Pune for the past 3 years and it continues to get a good response this time around too.

Past Activities:

1. In a bid to encourage segregation and proper disposal of plastic waste, Prutha has organized the Plastic Premier League from March 25 to April 10, 2015 - a contest for collection of maximum number of plastic bottles or cups, which was then disposed in the proper manner. The team with the highest tally won a dinner for four. 

2. In January 2015, IISER Pune hosted a chapter of the Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival on campus, organised by Prutha volunteers and Lokayat activists. The event included the screening of three short films, a talk by Mr. Dunu Roy, Director of Hazards Centre, New Delhi, followed by an intense audience discussion on people's attitudes to green issues. 

3. Several clean-up drives have been organised in different locations: two were held on campus, one at Sinhagad Fort, and one at Panchavati hill as a Scavenger Hunt contest. Another drive called Trash Talk, conducted at JM Road in Fall 2014 as part of IISER Pune's annual cultural festival Karavaan, was reported in the pages of the Sakal Times. A cleanliness drive in Laman Vasti and Sanjay Gandhi Vasahat near Someshwar Wadi in Baner was organized in association with Disha, as a part of Vigyan Mela 2015.

 4. Prutha organised IISER participation in the Environment Status Report (ESR) of Ward 10 (Pashan) which was spearheaded by residents of Panchavati and the Centre for Development Studies and Activities in the early months of 2013. 

Prutha hopes to undertake plantation activities and improve the current, barebones waste segregation system on campus. In addition, they are also looking forward to begin short civic and environmental awareness sessions for elementary school children, who can make a world of difference in the future.

Reference