KOCHI: Got a bright idea for disposing of trash? Join the #Trashtag Challenge, and save the day for Kochiites. The Challenge, a brainchild of the students of Cochin University Science and Technology (Cusat), was launched at the Cochin University campus on Sunday. A group of 20 students from various departments of the University will take part in the cleaning drive. The initiative is supported and backed by the Women Studies Centre, Cusat.
#Trashtag Challenge, where people are required to pick up trash around their surroundings and post pictures of the transformation achieved by cleaning up the area, has been viral on social media, globally, for over several years. "We are the first University in India to accept this global challenge. We are beginning from places near the campus. With the waste management problem increasing in the city, we are attempting to bring a change in society by igniting a clean-up drive," said Raheem Rahman, who is presently studying PhD in Economics at Cusat.
We hope that by challenging others through social media, by posting photos of before and after cleaning a particular area, at least some will act up, Raheem said.
The collected plastic and trash will be taken by the Kalamassery Municipality and scrap dealers. "The Municipality has agreed to collect the plastic and we have talked with various scrap dealers also. For the food waste, we are planning to bury it in a distant place away from human settlements to avoid any foul smell," said Raheem.
The equipment required for the collection of wastes, including gloves, Dettol and cleaning aids, is being sponsored by the Women Studies Centre.
M Meera Bai, director of the Women Studies Centre said that compared to the elder generation, there is a remarkable change in the attitude of youngsters. "In our present society, the elder generation is not quite bothered about their premises. They throw bottles and plastics wherever they find convenient, but the present young generation is more sensitive of the need to keep their premises clean," said M Meera Bai.