World Environment Day 2023 Quote by Shaina Ganapathy, Head – Community Outreach Initiatives for Embassy Group
Conservation of the environment is inherent to Embassy Group’s culture. We aim to drive positive change by providing infrastructure-based solutions to enhance basic amenities around Embassy communities. In line with this year’s theme, “Beat Plastic Pollution”, we pledge to collaborate with the government and other local administrative bodies, NGOs, and other corporates to reduce our dependence on plastic, increase rates of reuse, waste collection, and recycling, and expedite safer disposal systems.
Embassy Group has been actively working in the Bettahalasuru Panchayat in North Bangalore, which comprises 10 villages, since 2012. The Bettahalasuru Panchayat, however, suffered from air, water, and soil pollution, with garbage (a lot of it plastic) from approximately 2,500 waste generators (around 53 metric tonnes per month) being dumped and burned. To increase community involvement and understanding of sustainable living methods, Embassy, in partnership with The Anonymous Indian Charitable Trust (TAICT), launched the EcoGram programme. EcoGram aims to create an ecologically sound, replicable model Gram Panchayat to propagate sustainable waste, water, and soil management. What began as a pilot project in Tarahunise now encompasses ten villages in the Bettahalasuru Panchayat, benefiting over 4,000 households.
To complement the solid waste management infrastructural solutions provided in the panchayat, a strong emphasis is also placed on community engagement and awareness initiatives curated by women and children in the communities. 50 women have joined the Shakthi programme as eco-ambassadors. Enabling the daily waste collection and segregation efforts to be scaled up, Embassy built EcoHub, an integrated solid waste management centre.
For this year’s 50th anniversary of this important day, it is vital to recognise the role that citizen and local-led environmental movements can play. Involving local and key stakeholders greatly increases the effectiveness of engendering systemic change and increasing accountability. The key to effective change is understanding that environmental issues are best handled when all concerned citizens at every level participate.