We have written about ban on polythene and always tried to create awareness about paper and cloth bags. This time, we are talking about a lady who is working towards this cause from very long time she is Mrs. Shobha Karwa.

From big showrooms to small tea vendors everyone uses polythene bags and plastic cups.These are not only affecting the present beauty  but are also posing a serious threat to nature.

Most of us are aware of this but how many of us bother to ask the shopkeeper for paper bags or how many of us carry cloth bags with us when we go out for shopping??  Lack of sensitivity and initiative on the part of the common public has resulted in such a grave problem.

There are some, however, who are working sincerely towards this problem. One of them is Mrs. Shobha Karwa. Her aim is to make Udaipur plastic free. I met her and tried to know, how she is doing her best to create awareness among the people and wants to sensitize them.

So here I am presenting a brief overview of her work and hope this encourages many to work towards the betterment of the environment.

Her work towards a Plastic free Udaipur:

She is working with Swami Vivekananda Society since June 2010 towards use of paper and cloth bags instead of polythene bags. For this cause they have been supplying waste paper to the Central Jail inmates to make paper bags, with the help of Jail authorities.

This not only helps in making paper bags but also provides a platform for the jail inmates to work and engage in something creative. It also helps them to get out of the negativity of the surroundings.

The paper bags and cloth bags are then distributed to the grocery vendors and shopkeepers for selling their items in these bags. She says it is very difficult to convince shopkeepers to use paper and cloth bags because supply can be only done if there is demand. So people must be aware and ask for paper bags. All the people who are interested in knowing more about paper bags or want to buy them, they also take orders and supply paper bags according to the need and demand of the buyer. They contact on the number: Swami Vivekananda Society:

She has been working towards this cause way before the Government regulation stating a ban on polythene was passed.

Few years back, at the time of Navratras she distributed cloth bags free of cost to vendors selling coconut and other Puja items near the Neemach Mata hill. She asked them to sell coconut and other items in cloth bags and charge one rupee extra as a token money which would be given back to devotees once they come down from the temple and deposit the cloth bag.

They even employed a guard to check that nobody could take polythene bags up to the temple and pollute the environment during those nine days. This step is really commendable. Neemach Mata is a place of devotion and people go there to pray in peace. But the increasing pollution and the sight of innumerable polythene bags on the hill are really disturbing.

Other works:

Apart from this she is also working with ‘The Child’s Trust’. They fund education the less privileged children who cannot afford it. They also provide nutrients to the patients at the T.B hospital. They provide groundnuts, gram, fruits and biscuits to the patients.

Mrs. Shobha Karwa together with Kamla Bhardwaj, Sunanda Acharaya and Nandita Singhal had established a trust named ‘Samvedna Charitable Trust’. This trust has been actively involved in improving the educational quality and living condition of poor and blind children. They have worked very hard towards this.

At ‘The Jeevan Jyoti Orphanage’ at Sukher they have made various arrangements for improving education quality and vocational training for the students. Their trust also bears the stationery and tuition expense of the students and provides them with a mid day snack.

They have also built a water tank and bore well at the school and have done other arrangements to improve the infrastructure facility for the students. They have taken up the work of cleanliness and maintenance of The Blind School situated behind Charak Hostel. This has tremendously reduced the drop out rates in these schools.

Things like this cannot be done alone, there is a team of active volunteers who are working with her for this noble cause they are Renu Nagori, Indira Talreja, Sangita Mundra, Anita Biyani and Madhu Agarwal.

She says that funds were never a problem with her but physical presence and seeing that the work is actually done is very important. She tries to visit the orphanage and The Blind School at least thrice a week which she says is very important to monitor and maintain the work at the school. She also sometimes teaches the children there.

Whenever and wherever she finds an opportunity she tries her best to contribute towards the society. Like at her husband’s own Company i.e. Anand Kumar and Company, under Corporate Social Responsibility, they are teaching children of the labourers working in their factory.

She says, it was really difficult to convince the labourers and their families to let their children go to school but she tried her best and finally managed to get these children to school. Now they completely fund their school fees, stationery expenses, uniform and tuition charges.

Message:

She says that education among the rural masses and awareness and sensitivity among the urban educated class is the only way to solve major social problems. She also urges the people of Udaipur to stop the use of polythene bags and start using paper and cloth bags.

So Udaipurites lets join hands and avoid use of plastic and polythene bags and make Udaipur plastic free.