SRIKAKULAM: Nine-year-old Putsala Harshith, studying Class 4 in Bright Rider School in Musaffah in Abu Dhabi, a native of Srikakulam, has been conducting awareness campaigns against the use of plastic for the past one-and-a-half years.
Inspired by a video clip screened in the school on the adverse effects of plastic on the environment, he took up the no-plastic campaign to sensitise children and people about its ill-effects. He continues his no-plastic campaign in Srikakulam too were came to spend his summer vacation. Harshith has been creating awareness against plastic use for the past one-and-a-half months in Srikakulam. He has so far covered about 20 schools in Srikakulam, Gara, Narasannapeta and other areas in the district. He began his campaign in January last year in Abu Dhabi and continues it till today.
As he was trained in robotics from Vision Kids Training Centre in Abu Dhabi, he made several robots in connection with environmental protection. The young genius also created a house cleaning robot to help his mother in cleaning the house.
Similarly, he also made a robot segregating various types of wastes like a metal waste, plastic waste, wet waste and dry waste. His recent project on robotic waste on segregation of organic compost has been selected for Dubai Expo to be held on October 18 next year. He will leave for Abu Dhabi in two days from Srikakulam as his summer vacation is coming to an end.
Speaking to TNIE, Harshith said almost one-and-a-half years ago, he saw a video clip on how living things, including human beings, were affected by the plastic waste. He said, “The domestic animals and fish were more affected than us due to environmental pollution caused by plastic waste. Though I cannot eradicate the use of plastic completely, my campaign can reduce the use of plastic.” He also said that he would continue his campaign wherever he is.