SAVE SOUTHERN AVENUE 2009
82,000 grams
+ 137,000 grams
+ 506,000 grams
Of wine bottles, hair combs, ice cream wrappers, gutka pouches, cigarette packets, plastic bags, trouser belts, toothbrushes, ID cards, condoms, sanitary pads, shirts, medicine bottles, toothpaste tubes, cigarettes, bus tickets, polyurethane strips, spoons, shoe soles, running shoes, cement bags, purses, ice cream cups, bidi pouches etc.



This is the quantity (725 kgs) and quality of plastic-paper garbage collected by a mere 35 young adults of Kolkata in the park skirting the Dhakuria Lakes on Day 1, 2 and 3 of their Save Southern Avenue Project 2009 (8, 15 and 22 February). The team significantly exceeded its target of 160,000 grams by collecting 506,000 grams.

“This absolutely amazing achievement was the result of having selected a compact area of working,” says Armaan Sood, who initiated the drive. “Since teams worked at a reasonable distance from each other, it was possible to compete visibly. A weighing machine in the vicinity made it possible for each team to try and collect as much as possible within one bag. The record for the highest litter collected in a single bag was 17 kgs as against the average collection per bag of 7 kgs. This ‘game’ incentivised outperformance.”

The team of young adults (6-16 years) comprised local residents, Nature Club members of La Martiniere School (girls and boys) and members of Art of Living Foundation.

A mention must also be made of adult residents who donated specially manufactured jute bags to collect waste and others who contributed gloves.

The young adult team, armed with gloves and jute sacks, resumed its cleaning exercise at 6:00 and worked until 8:30 am on 22 February across the Menoka Cinema stretch on Sarat Chatterjee Avenue . Thereafter, the waste was weighed and disposed under supervised guidance in the plastic segment of the waste vat on Southern Avenue.

The team of green crusaders intends to repeat this exercise at 600 am on Sunday, 1 March 2009.

Can you join?

Or do you know any young adult in your house, building or neighbourhood who would be interested to help?

Please ask her / him to contact Armaan Sood at 98304 33663.

Be a part of Kolkata’s solution!