(May 21, 2022) As a young child, environmentalist Sneha Shahi would go to the north east of India, where her father was stationed. Over the years, she fell in love with nature. Back in Vadodara, Gujarat, where she grew up, Sneha showed a marked interest in environmental activities. Today, a PhD scholar at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment in Bengaluru, Sneha is one of India’s 17 UN Young Climate Champions.
Sneha Shahi
“Ever since we were in school, we have been learning about how the irresponsible disposal of plastic waste can adversely impact our flora, fauna and land water systems,” says the young activist, during an interview with Global Indian. “While we are taught about it, most of us don’t ever do much to actually reduce the impact.” Sneha is among the proactive few and has cleaned around 700 kilos of waste from a rivulet so filthy that people mistook it for a gutter.
Daughter of the earth
A military brat, Sneha grew up travelling to various parts of the country, even though she was primarily in Vadodara. “I come from a joint family. My grandfather was also in Indian Air Force, and after travelling across the country my family decided to settle in Vadodara for it was a beautiful, quaint city,” says the young environmentalist, who loves to travel. “I loved to go to national parks and zoological parks, and enjoyed spending time there. So, it was natural that I would develop an interest in working with the environment,” says Sneha, laughing as she recalls people’s surprise when she first told them her career choice. She stuck with it, though, enrolling at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda to pursue bachelor’s degree in environmental science and later a masters in the same subject. And this is where her life took a turn.
A rivulet runs through it
Her love for nature inspired her to enroll in UNEP’s Plastic Tide Turner Challenge, which began in her college in 2019. Funded by the United Kingdom since 2018, the “Tide Turners Plastic Challenge” has reached over 225,000 youth in 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. The initiative is a crucial element of the British government’s 25 Year Environment Plan to reduce ocean plastic.
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At 23, when she was doing her masters in environmental studies, Sneha led a campaign to clean a polluted rivulet that had been choked with plastic waste. Since the rivulet ran through their college campus, Sneha managed to round up 300 students for the campaign. They began cleaning what they thought was a ‘nala’ or gutter which was once said to have been home to several crocodiles. However, the crocodiles left, unable to withstand the mounting garbage. “We would make jokes about crocodiles living on campus,” Sneha says. “But that isn’t the issue, is it? The fact is that the stream belonged to the crocodiles and we ruined it.” The endeavour took months and the team had cleaned 700 kilos of waste by the end.
Braving the odds
While the students worked day and night to clean the rivulet, they faced several challenges during the campaign. “The biggest task was to create awareness in the nearby localities about plastic waste. For most of them this nala had been a dumping place for years. The after-effects of such deeds were shared and it took some time to see them react positively,” shares the environmentalist, adding, “Sometimes, the police would also enquire about our projects as they had never seen anyone bother to clean this stream.”
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However, things changed slowly. “Today if someone throws plastic in the stream, the locals question them and ask them to pick up the garbage. They are very protective of the stream,” she smiles. The environmentalist also points out that what amazed her the most was the interest shown by the local women. “We think they are mere housewives, but they are important stakeholders in society. When we were running the awareness campaign, I was amazed by how much they wanted to learn about the water bodies near their homes, how they cause flooding and pollution and its impact on their health,” Sneha says.
Interestingly, after removing over 700 kg of plastic from the urban stream, many turtles and crocodiles found their way back to the water during the monsoon. “Many other insects and plants also grew in their surroundings,” shares Sneha, who adds that the college authorities installed fences for the safety of students. Currently, Sneha’s juniors are managing the programme, while she monitors them.
Against the tide
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Currently pursuing her PhD in Extreme Hydrological Events at ATREE, Bengaluru, Sneha is gearing up to work on restoring the Thamirabarani, Tamil Nadu’s only perennial river. “The project is only six months old and is still being developed,” Sneha explains. The Thamirabarani, which is 128 long, “supports drinking water and agricultural activity,” the environmentalist says, adding, “We want to install physical instruments to control pollution and also spread awareness on the harm it has caused. We want to impact the prevailing mindset.”
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