Sanjana from India

Hello Sanjana, nice to meet you. Please tell us a bit more about you and your life. And what are your interests?

 I am political scientist living in Delhi, India. I am an author and environmental activist. About my interest, I like reading books, travelling,  doing research on paranormal activities and working towards healthy environment.

 

Why is this environmental issue important to you?

For me, it all starts from really basic story from my personal experience. There was this time when I (infact others as well) used to get up early in the morning through the chirping of sparrows (commonly found bird, House sparrow), it always felt so good and fresh to listen to those cute and sweet chirps. But as I grew up, I gradually found out that there are no such experiences anymore. It's been more than a decade already and my ears are still trying to find those sweet little chirps. Factors like urbanisation, radiation from mobile towers, pollution, use of insecticides and pesticides in farms and emission of harmful gases are considered the main reasons that led to a drastic decline in the population of sparrows and many other such creatures. All in all, it is due to humans' interference into the nature. This is the ecological disbalance created by we humans and no doubt, it can ultimately lead to the self destruction. Sudden weathered and climatic changes, decline of several creatures, reduction in life expectancies, are all consequences. Therefore, it's high time that we all actively take part in various initiatives and work towards healthy environment. Afterall, we need to understand the importance of environment where we live in.

 

 What are the most important issues for children related to the environment and climate change in your community/country/region?

Air Pollution, Plastic Pollution, and mismanagement in waste segregation is prevalent in the region I live in. Since children are still growing, air pollution harms them during the developmental stage of their life, causing lifelong health problems. Exposure to air pollution at a young age can hinder lung growth, can cause asthma and more such issues as well. As for the country it's facing various other types of issues like water pollution, deforestation, river acidification, loss of biodiversity, etc. 

 

What are you doing to protect the environment?

Nothing can be done without team work. Therefore strengthening of youth network at regional level, researching more on environmental issues , taking various initiatives, doing sensitisation and creating awareness among the community, making people aware about climate crisis and how to  reduce it through various activities are being done, also performing advocacy through various SNS channels.

 

Can you share with us a good children and youth activity happening in your community or country to help or protect the environment?

Youth and Children in Delhi are indulged in an initiative where they collect milk packets and cut them in a way that not even a part of it be torn apart, this process of collecting milk packets completes when these packets are sent for recycling. A large amount of milk packets been collected and recycled already and it's still going on. Also, youth and children are engaged in various cleanliness drive and plantation drives as well.

 

You are working quite hard to protect your environment! Do you also have a personal dream?

As an environmental activist, I just dream of healthy and safe earth. I wish and dream of an earth where no one will suffer from pollution and all live happily and well. We all hope for our planet to retain its uniqueness, it's diversified environment, etc. 

Thank you :)