Mobilise, work and activism. That is the mantra of volunteers of Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), who go to the Nehru Zoological park in Hyderabad twice a month to make sure that visitors don’t litter and dirty the places near animal enclosures. While the numbers range between 30–100 each time they go, the group makes sure they stand guard at all the enclosures and prevent people from throwing wrappers or anything else around. “People here think that just because they buy a ticket they can do anything they want in the zoo. So it is our job to tell them that such behaviour isn’t right,” says Surya Vantaram, one of the volunteers who has organised some of the activities in the absence of EFI’s founder, Arun Krishnamurthy.
Volunteering is organised twice a month. Each EFI member also get their friends into volunteering at the zoo. “ Apart from that, we also do lake clean ups, and sparrow reintroduction at the water bodies after cleaning them,” informs Surya. Krishnamurthy, who resides in Chennai, often comes to Hyderabad to organise such activities for his group. Apart from volunteering at the zoo, EFI members have also cleaned up the Kapra, Gurunatham and Alwal lake in the city. Already in talks with the civic authorities, Arun Krishnamurthy plans to adopt one of the lakes they have cleaned up soon. EFI also plans to take up more environmental activities in Hyderabad.
— yunus@newindianexpress.com