1. Students from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyalaya in Mumbai organized a beach cleaning initiative after Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to address the large amounts of garbage left behind. 2. Over 150 students from grades 7 and 10 spent a week collecting litter and garbage from Aksa beach. 3. The school principal praised the students' efforts to clean up the environment and their desire to be agents of change in making the world a better place.

1. Name of School: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyalaya Address: Sunder Nagar, Malad (West) Mumbai School Leader Name: Ms. Meenakshi Kilpady Tel: 2874 70 58 / 59 E-mail: [email_address] Mentor Teacher: Ms Ujjwala Chaughule

2. Grade: VII Age: 13 yrs Names: Kritika, Kalpana, Priyadarshini Nehal, Aayushi, Ajay Aliasgar,anjana, Sanil, Saloni, Agam, Kewal, Sanchita, Saba, Priya, Palak, Hardik, Vaibhavi Jash, Nivritti,riddhi and our team from Std. VII. Grade: X Age: 16 Yrs Names: Suirbhi, Prina, Deval, Aishwarya, Sahana, Harshada, Rohit, Vaansh, Jugal, Urvashi, Karan, Riya, Shreeya, Shreeyasnshi, Manali, Harshal, Yash, Aditya, Poonam and our team from Std. X

3. LEAVING BEHIND ONLY FOOTPRINTS on the sands!!!

4. Whenever a festival or function has been celebrated in the city it has always left us with a concern - the amount of garbage generated as far as our eyes could see, across Mumbai. FEEL

6. We envisage a day when the planning committee of all festivals especially that of Ganesh Utsav would include waste management as an integral part of their planning IMAGINE

7. The members of our school nature club- CAUSE had a brainstorming session. CAUSE stands for - C hildren A ware & U nited to S ave the E nvironment .

8. The brain storming session generated the following ideas : Talking to people about the importance of cleanliness. Educating the people about different ways of garbage disposal. Making the people aware about how garbage spoils the natural beauty. Getting everyone to realize that a beautiful surrounding is a right of children. Also the solution too lies with us.

9. The members of the CAUSE club decided to ‘walk our talk’. Take the initiative and brooms in our hands and clean the beaches our selves rather than just keep talking about it .

10. So we set out with baskets, bins and brooms.

13. Programme Implementation The Beach Cleaning Programme Was Implemented From 18 th September, 2010 To 25 th September, 2010.

14. Here we are, 150 students from Std . VII & X on a cleanliness drive at Aksa beach. DO

17. …… .. clearing the litter, garbage, scraps & wastes. Let us have clean and happy memories of Ganesh Utsav!!

20. Just as each drop in an ocean counts, every individual’s contribution matters. It is OUR environment, let’s make it clean and beautiful …..the way we would like it to be.

24. A message was conveyed and we were applauded for taking up the CAUSE of ensuring clean beachside .

30. The Mumbai of tomorrow is our responsibility. As future citizens of India it is our duty to keep our environment clean and pollution free and thus design our own change.

31. Principal’s Message : Our faith in our students as agents of change redeemed each time they undertake activities to make the world a better place. Each year once the Ganesh Visarjan is over we have been disturbed at the sight of the leftovers on the beach. After discussions with teachers and students they expressed their desire to go to the beachside and clean up the mess themselves. It is indeed heartening to see that our C hildren are A ware and U nited to S ave the E nvironment and with their teachers as guides they truly work as agents of change. And our faith is further strengthened …. Ms.Meenakshi Kilpady