Our day starts with a walk through this lovely place close to home, Indira Park. We have lovely companions there from naughty squirrels to the cooing birds to the refreshing flora! I had written a post about my morning walk companions long back – well don’t worry, it hs hardly any words .. more n more pics 
So, pls have a look @ My Morning Walk Companions 
Its a sad thing that the lovely lake which u see in the pics is always flooded with plastic bottles and so much trash! It pains to see the aquatic animals struggling to wade through the same, the plants absorbing this water, the birds feeding on the same! Imagine ur house filled with trash or having to drink muddy water even for a day guys! Can u? Then how can they? They are living beings too! Wonder how man has been described to be the only animal to have thinking abilities!
To add to this, this is one of the best-maintained parks I have ever come across! There are trash cans provided @ almost every foot-step! What pleasure do people derive in discarding them into the lake then? I fail to understand! Let alone stop the usage of plastic, people can’t even discard them properly? Its not that we r not aware of the problems plastic causes rt? The first step in finding a solution to any problem is in admitting that we have a problem. Whatz with the denial when u know there is one!
The plastic bags end up in a landfill and take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade and emit harmful greenhouse gases. It causes irreparable damage to the ecosystem, thus bringing about Climatic Changes and proving to be extremely harmful to life. It also has many health hazards associated with it including the deadly Cancer and even genetic defects.
Reducing your contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag.
I had once received a mail with some easy solutions to this menace which we can definitely follow regularly and help in battling the problems caused by this monster:
- Start saying ‘NO’ to carry-bag when you can carry things in your hand
- Don’t forget to carry a cloth bag from home when you are heading for a purchase
- Keep a set of bags always in your bike/car
- Aviod packing goods in multiple plastics which can packed in a single one
- Reuse a carrybag for atleast 10 times before you throw it away
So simple aren’t they?
We truly believe that if there is one corner in the world u r sure of changing, its urself! We once started an initiative to clean the place and believe me, people were just not ready to get in and help us. Most of them had the same answer ‘I have not done it’ or ‘Come on, there are already so many bottles! What difference will one of mine make?’ Where will this take us? Is this the way we want to keep the competitive spirit in us alive? Why can’t we use it instead in a positive way? Compete with each other to spread awareness, to go green, to stop using plastic!
I would like to mention here about one outlet in Hyderabad ‘Emerald Mithai Shop’ who are doing a wonderful job by avoiding plastic bags completely in their business. Not only do they pack everything for you in well-made paper bags which carry meaningful messages about conservation of water, afforestation, climate change etc.. but also provide discounts for people who carry their own bags and also return the paper bags. They also have nice messages displayed on the walls all over abt benefits of water-harvesting and so on [Always wanted to get some pics; somehw nt been able to! Will share them soon]. Whatever u buy to eat there are given to u in the containers made from leaves etc.. Isn’t this a wonderful initiative? I really feel we can take a leaf out of their book and do whatever is possible from our side.
I am scared we will be in a position where our future generation wil not be able to enjoy Nature the way we have been able to! What if the colour ‘Green’ is something they get to see only in their books, the crayons, the pens et..al! Isn’t it time to regain the Paradise rather than repenting later and crying over ‘Paradise Lost”
Let’s do our bit people! On World Environment Day, I had written a post about small things we can do to contibute towards having a healthy environment where we can live happily! Here is a photocopy of a poster displayed by GreenPeace India I had shared in that post! Hw simple and easy it is to follow these in our daily life. Little drops of water do make a mighty ocean isn’t it?
This post is part of an initiative ‘Blog Action Day‘
Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.
Header pic ... thank u google!
first?? off to read post
Yay! U r
nallarunga madam..nallarunga
he is saying: “Be happy, madam, be happy”
hahahaaa…athivasi madam..ungala paatha enaku major sundararjan thaan nyabgathuku varaar
and lemme see how u translate ths to musical lady 
I understood this buhahahahahaha
Whenever u see Savi, u r reminded of Sundararajan
//Whenever u see Savi, u r reminded of Sundararajan//
LOL
savi patha sundarrajana!! enna kodumai ithu 
V good,Swaram! He only said that!! Major sundararajan is a tamil actor, he delivers dialogues in english and tamil. like he says, ‘enna pa’, continued by ‘what pa’
Tee hee thank u Savi
Me resorted to apun ka bestest dost google to find out who is Major 
naanu ille commenting
I refuse to be last on such a nice post!!
Anyways, ashte kane
bartheeni vapas ninna thale thinnakke!
Hey Pixu
Ahem nice post
Dhanyavada 
Idu nange Diwali gift aa
photos were AWESOME.. have captured the beauty of the park (been there many times, so major nostaligia as well)
Oh haudalla
even if there are dustbins around, some ppl draw sadistic comfort from littering lakes.. sad but true..
Ya Appu
nice thought provoking post.. if all of us were to do our bit, we can go a long way to realise our dream of a green planet..
Hmm..
swaru- loved ur new header.. very very nice
Thanks Appu
second! No fixing today?
U r my dear
Gils busy 
avvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
((
gils is busy chilling at home in Chennai..
Vada sambar thengai saadam
Enakkum oru parcel
Address kudungo
Great to hear you are part of such an initiative.
I have nothing to add. Your post summed up everything perfectly.. and so did the poster.. I hope by doing our bit, we bring about a change, however minor.
Thanks R
Yes, lets do our bit and wish others do so too 
First, my wishes for writing on the topic. A simple issue, but can be easily solved, if only we have the determination.
Xactly Savi .. determination is the word !
This reminds me of APJ’s comment once, the Indian who does not litter in singapore, the Indian who does not litter in US or UK, finds pleasure in littering India. Why don’t we feel responsible? It is not about me or you, it is about we, isn’t it?
I love that article of his! I keep reading it again and again .. it ws dng rounds over email for long!
I have begun saying no to plastic bags, when the bag I carry is sufficient to carry the goods bought. Will make it a point to carry an appropriate bag.
Thanks for the thought, and yes, thanks for the reminder. Will do a post too(I also registered the other day, after seeing your post on FB:) )
Waiting to read urs 
well i don’t I have much to add now that I’ve posted on my blog as well.
Hmmmm
nice post….u shd be renamed captain planet
and we would all be the planeteers 
)))
ROFL
U n ur ideas gils 
Simply supperu 
Btw, awesome header pic
Thanks Masood
Jai Ho Google 
Avoiding plastic carry bag is one best option.Instead we can go for paper bag or low micron plastic bag…But question is how many people will follow it
Well thatz true! Let us do it and hope others do it
HUH!
i came running to see if i can be first to comment… but alas! 
My SIL has started an NGO in mumbai “RUR” which stands for Are you recycling and they promote the use of cloth bags. Even using papaer bags cause a lot of damage to the enviornment due to cutting of the trees and also acid effect while processing the paper making.
The responce they get is really good in mumbai. If only we go back to our older days where cloth bags were a trend. And they look so chic too!
If only…
P.S. i am doing my bit by helping her by getting these bags designed and made at my place and then send it to her
[shameless self advertisement 
]
Thatz gr8 Sakhi! I know a few other outlets too where I go by chic bags
Even Spencer’s chain is selling them nw 
BTW, cn I get these bags somewhere? U get them designed, I am sure they wil b gr8
it is a pity that people dont use the trash cans even when it is at a hand’s reach… is it unawareness or that they simply don’t care…
Oh it is
i think the carry bag option is so easy if somebody want to follow..
I think this concept of ‘No Plastics’ has been around for quite some time. People have found it tough to put it in practise – at least in india. We have kind of got used to this process of using plastics and though we can raise our voices, do some campaigns and stuff, i really doubt when it will really succeed! Sad!
Well, lets do what we can! We wud hv moved atleast one step close to it then!
Fully with u…
Thankus
Very well written swaran…this avoiding plastic is going in my office also….
Wow Rash
Nice to know 
I am happy that i m doing my bit…though it seems it will take long to eradicate this completely from india..
Hmm it wil take time bcoz ppl r happy cursing India and praising other countries but don’t want to contribute to keeping it neat n clean
BTW u change header pic daily as per post….this one is cool too like earlier
Thanks dear
hmm.. this is an issue that I have been studying since a year. well the GHG emissions show an increasing trend all around the world.. so I guess its high time people realize how important it is to keep our environment free from all these toxic materials.
There is a grocery store near my place. the guy has one rule, he does not provide any kinda bag (plastic/paper) , the customers need to get them along and he squirms when he sees a plastic bag. I once saw the owner refusing to provide any kinda help when a woman said she had forgotten her bag. the woman was forced to go home and she presumably got her bag.. hehe i like such people.
I know its a long process – from awareness to action. but we need to work towards it.
Yavdo store adu? Lakkappana angadi na? Super alva? Adikke me likes this Emerald shop too
These days, I find it easier to create awareness among the uneducated ones. Take these kind of topics to the so called literate ones and they will ridicule you !
Vimmuuu – some of the so-called educated people think that they are too smart for the rest of us
Exactly Vimmuuu
But seriously, watz education? All those bits n pieces we know from 100 books but not hw to conduct ourselves???
The ppl who understand such things are the real literates! Rn’t they
abba! What a profound statemnt Swaru!
Swaram……u r so right. I guess for many of us the convenience of using plastic outweights the negatives but wish we could change ourselves. The least we can do is proper disposal. I feel so happy to see many stores changing to paper bags now
Honest Monu
Its nice to know things r changing 
Terrific post. It is really so easy to implement these suggestions – just a simple change in one’s lifestyle and habits can make an enormous change to the planet. Here in the US reusable bags are sold in all the grocery stores, for a very cheap price, so it is very easy to say no to the plastic bags and use the reusable ones instead.
Thanks Kamini
As u say, its such a simple change – I can’t understand y they r nt incorporated
Nice to know abt the reusable bags
Swaram, I was nodding away as I was reading this..
You know what really irritates me – people, even educated, so called well-aware people do not think twice about such things. They feel it is their privilege to drop their litter wherever it pleases.
Thatz so bad na Smithu
N they get angry if we point out .. but we stil do it 
You know, there are plenty of times, when I don’t find a litter bin here. There are dog poop bins – but since they are clearly marked for the purpose – I never put other rubbish in them and I have people making fun of me about how angrez I am.
I carry waste papers bk home sometimes if I happened to buy something on the way and discard it only @ home .. my own colleagues hd a laugh @ me once …. I just do what I want though
But the thing is, they are there for a reason – am sure there is a different way/place of disposing different stuff. For instance, here, you also have separate bins for recyclable stuff – and a lot of people feel that it is an unnecessary effort to put things separately..
Thatz such a nice thing actually
While govts and leaders have to do their bit, I think we as a people can do a lot to contribute too..
Xactly my point Smithu .. nt for nthng I call u my soul-sis
Instead of blaming others and waiting for them to look for solutions, y not do what we can?
As your example of bags indicates.. We do that – we take reusable bags whenever possible, so that we can avoid plastic bags..
Very nice of u Smithu
Fantastic, hardhitting post!
{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}
lovely comment Smithus!
Me agrees with you as well!
i’ll read you once my post on this subject is done.. coz the more i am reading others more am loosing track of mine
Sure ji
Me waiting for urs too 
Excellent post dear.
Thank u sweety
Here most of outlets have stopped using plastic carry bags,they sell jute and paper bags at a nominal rates.
Thatz so nice
Best thing is to carry our bags na 
But when we shop at small outlets they use plastic bags.
hmm
Nice to read about the ‘Emerald Mithai outlet.Our country needs more outlets like this one
Oh u r so rt
Recently we brought two juice can from a famous outlet here and after paying the cash we didn’t take the plastic carry bags and we were stopped at the entrance by security to check whether we made the payment or not and when we questioned them on what bases they are asking us,u know what they said as we are not carrying the carry bags they thought we didn’t make the payment.We made a complaint but till now we didn’t get any reply from them.
Thatz too much na! Gud that u filed a complaint!
So next time when i visit this outlet i will surely take the plastic carry bag so to avoid embarrassment.
We have already lost it and reached a point from where we can no more gain anything! Only thing that we can do is prolong the D’day.
Well, lets do what we can atleast even if its only prolong the D’day
Hmm.Point. I’ve been struggling with ladies at work who can’t use the washroom cleanly! And these are people with degrees who earn six figure salaries! :O :O
I hv hd a fight … big one @ that with so many of them! The ladies who clean them r human too .. they r nt there to clean shit rt
What do I say! One lady I confronted a lady who blatantly quipped that everyone did that, what difference would it make if she did it too!
DUh DUh!
As in most cases
Good one Swaram.
I wonder whether anyone remembers a time when we had no plastic bags at all. When I was a child, there was no supermarket in our town, so we always had to carry our own bags for shopping. Now plastic is everywhere. This one step itself can add a lot.
Thanks Laksh
U r so rt 
Thought provoking post.
A few years back I myself was guilty of such things. I was aware not to throw something in water sources like lake or river, but to throw something away on road side was a common bad habit.
After going to IIIT, I was reformed. Now, I will search for dustbins around and if it’s not there, will keep it in my pocket or bag n dispose when dustbins available. Not praising myself but should have been doing this long time back.
Most of the times garbage cans are not available at places but the lake u mentioned had them n still people not using them is sad.
We don’t need a big revolution for making India clean. Let everyone change themselves and things will improve for sure.
U r abs rt Makrand and I loved ur honesty
Its so nice when we realize our mistakes and correct them 
Kudos to u 
We don’t need a big revolution for making India clean. Let everyone change themselves and things will improve for sure. – We make India no .. India is its ppl .. what else?
many of us already keep our actions in line with protecting the environment.. through whatever little we can do..
I wud be happy if the ‘many’ part is true Tara
Lovely initiative on their part na 
v sad, indeed.
but aren’t reminders like this shake us and inspire us to do more…
Its not really funny that we will give our next generation and polluted and globally warmed earth
Its scary and sad
PS: I loved the pics in the linked post.. are you saying that its not that pretty sight now anymore?
Well, its a mixture
Wonderful post swaram… Really nice info and thoughts… As far as i know both plastic and paper bags are harmful to nature and its always better to use cloth bags like in the olden days… But a product which is not fashionable never have market in this modern world…
Fashion , trend – what we make of it Kanagu – I carry lovely cloth bags everywhere and my idea of fashion then is that I am unique
Thanks Kanagu for ur lovely comment
Nice swaram.. nice to see you taking part in such an initiative.. we should all do over part to save this planet
Thanks Avada
I have so strongly let loose my opinion on Solilo’s page that I’m all dried up here
Just want to say that I emphatically agree with all ur points on plastic pollution.
And Loved ur header!!!!!
Thanks Nancy
Wil read ur opinion there 
Super Super, Super post! Thanks for this Swaram. We all need to stand up for this cause!
Hey thank u thank u thank u so much dear
Deepavaliya Shubhashyagalu, Swaram! Devaru nimmannoo, nimma kutumbathavarannoo, santhoshavaagi, aarogyavaagi idali!
Thumba dhanyavadagalu Sandhya
Nimagu nimma bandu mitrarigu Deepavali habbada hardika shubhashayagalhu
Will read and comment here later, Swaram.
Sure Sandhya
That was really a wonderful initiative taken by u… We are already too late to save our earth frm and if we dnt start now our planet would never recover.. It wil be a plastic world..
as 4 me i never throw anything on road.. If i dnt get a dustbin i carry it all the way to home and dispose it off.
It really frustrates me to see people throwing things here there and everywhere.
people should read this and implement it.
U r rt dear
If all ppl wud realize its nt as diff. as they think to dispose waste properly, it wud def. be a better place to live in 
All pertinent points, Swar! esp. about plastics. Most plastics can’t be recycled and is a waste.
Added this link to mine.
Wish you a happy and eco-friendly Diwali!
Thanks Soli
Wish u a happy Diwali too
Very thoughtful of you to post this swaram. I totally agree, yes we can make loads of difference, in every single way. I try to reduce my plastic bag, mostly i prefer to carry it in my bag or in hands.
Thatz really nice of u Sri
I respect u for that 
The problem with environmental conservation is, every other speaks about it very less follow it, we give in to convenience over conservation mostly.
U r so rt! The need is to practice and nt just preach
but things are changing, hopefully everybody realises that its our responsibility to care for the world.
Hmm the same hope keeps us gng
Applaud to you! and flowers
Thank u thank u
Sri
will come back and read
Sure Mys
nice post Swaram…
as u said, the Indira park area is one of the nicely maintained place and still we find lots of plastic all around…
the small steps taken by us will help us in the long run..
hope all of us start implementing these..
The movement against plastic bags has gained much more momentum in other countries, India being one of the few that I have been to, that have the entire environment of any city and even some parts of the countryside choking with plastic.
In other countries, they even give a cash discount at the super market if you take your own bag.
A few outlets do that here too
There is a day dedicated in Singapore shops called BYOB (Bring your own bag day).
Wow! A day dedicated to that! Interesting
Awareness in India should start with getting off their lethargic chalta hai attitude, educating them to stop stop buying plastic throwing things around everywhere and litter without care, spit everywhere, urinate anywhere, all this has to be done in a big way.
Well! Ppl hv to start somewhere no .. the horse cn only be taken to the water source
Civic sense will also progress into environmental sense.
Hmm well said!
People tend to take the easy and often lazy way out everywhere in the World, not singling out India.
So true
Happy Deepavali to you and your husband and all in the family! Warmest greetings on the occasion, all the best!
Thanks a lot Anup
Wish u the same too 
happy diwali!!
ok i am seriously jealous for being stuck here in no where land..where as you guys are having all the fun!!
also for the other post…i went to central school too…yahoo!
Hey thanks dear and wish u the same too
Hi5 to another central school student
Nahiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii shock:
Kya hua
Smiley test 
[...] 4. The Song of Life [...]
Wow… nice…
I knew Swaram long age
But couldn’t had the luck of visiting over here..
From today, I will keep visiting….regularly I wish
Thanks Mahmud and welcome here
thanks girl.. I am keeping the post
Wow! Cool
Thank u
relevant and a hard hitting post,swaru.
“We truly believe that if there is one corner in the world u r sure of changing, its urself!”-couldnt have agreed with you more.
Thank u Deepu
Hugs!
Lovely post Swaram! Here too there is a store which gives sturdy paper bags to carry groceries and gives a discount if you get your own cloth bag. That is a very good initiative. I wish people would use the trashcans more often
Oh nice to know Homey abt other such outlets
Great post Swaram-I just hope some more people get to read it-and implement atleast one action-before it is too late!
Thanks Hypermom
dropped in from Avada’s blog….
well every point u raised is worth mentioning and followed…