Water' a great idea

Were you aware that approximately about four million liters of water go to waste on a daily basis at restaurants, as most patrons tend to leave behind water in their glasses? Quite like most of us, the discovery came as a shocker to young Bengalureans Garvita Gulhati and Pooja Tanawade. And, that’s pretty much what egged the students on to conjure up Why Waste?, their maiden eco-friendly initiative. From educating restaurateurs on how to bring an end to a severe wastage of water to creating widespread awareness through social media and off it, the girls are doing a pretty neat job through the idea. We get chatty for more...

“Just as most of us make it a point to keep our interiors tidy, we also have a responsibility of maintaining the natural resources of the planet — as we seem to use them as our personal property!  I was completely astonished to see such a large in contrary to the amount we thought we wasted. This is what triggered me to start off with Why Waste?.

I don’t think there is any kind of management that I have to do because this is a part of my life. Its a part of my personality and who I am. It isn’t my job, it is my way of living,” begins Garvita.  

The youngsters have been visiting several popular lounges and cafes in town, educating restaurateurs through their awareness drive. Despite a couple of naysayers, they are clear about making a point. “People used to ask me why are Garvita and I spending our grade 11 and 12 going around convincing people to save water when ideally we should be locking ourselves in our rooms and studying full time. My reply was simple. I barely see  any people acting towards actually making a difference which is the need of the hour. I have seen a problem and I can’t wait for someone to come and tell me that “Ok, now you are old enough to make a change, or now you don’t have education to concentrate on so you can do this if you like.” I mean, by the time I probably grow old enough (according to our society to do anything by myself) the problem would have escalated even more! This is exactly why I believe that it is important to take charge right now, unless you wish to catapult yourself into a future where your existence could be questionable,” opines Pooja.

Aside of being active on social media, the girls take their campaigns very seriously. “My dream is to change the mindset of people with respect to natural resources, and the best way to reach out is digitally. But, we’ve also been successful at putting up colourful posters with strong messages across several colleges and schools around town. We also ensure there’s a steady flow of active followers who are kept in the know of how to make a difference within their homes.  It’s a great feeling to get people to scroll their feeds and tap like on something that could better our environment. I’m also aware that a lot of social media campaigns have become disastrous, and the reason is simple —people don’t pursue it well enough. Our way of working is simple. I share the idea, interesting facts and simple lifestyle changes and etiquette that really helps save water, ask for opinions, try my best to inspire people to start something new on their own, or  probably give their contribution to Why Waste?,”explains Garvita. The two are students of the National Public School, Koramanagala. Speaking about what’s next, the duo signs off by stating, “We want people around us to be happy change-makers. That’s the intent for now, and the future.”