citizen initiative

Living in a place with limited space, Manoj Ranjan found his passion for gardening constrained. His resolve led him to utilise the small patch outside his home – once a dumping ground for garbage – to turn it into a garden.

To help Bengaluru save water and replenish water sources, Dr A Hariharan, founder of the Alttech Foundation, has launched the World of Water (WOW) Mission, which his a citizen-led initiative comprising 70 volunteers.

Called bavkhals, these age-old ponds once nurtured coastal wadis (orchards and farms) but had become filled with waste over the years. Until one man decided to breathe life into them.

‘Being with You’ is a citizen group in Pune that attends to an ill patient or an elderly when family members cannot be there for any reason

In 2017, the society exported surplus solar-produced electricity to a power distributing company and saved a whopping Rs 2.6 lakh. Not only that, it also converts 900 Kgs of waste into compost every month!

One free momo if you bring your own container, steel glasses for coconut water and more. How citizens helped vendors switch to plastic-free options without burning a hole in anyone’s pocket

After more than 3,600 hours of hard work, a team of 72 craftsmen and paper-artists turned kilos of waste into a powerful medium of positive change. Find out how! #Unique

“We wanted this event to serve as an image of what Bengaluru can do. We had expected around 500 volunteers and it was overwhelming to see the expectations being exceeded by large numbers."

“They were clad in black clothes and walking on the highways, seemingly Sabarimala devotees. The road was so dark that I could not see them until I was close enough. Thankfully, I was able to push the breaks on time. But it left me shaken. After returning, I could not resume normal life, with the thought haunting me day and night about what would have happened if I hadn't been able to stop."

“One evening, I was busy cutting the bushes when a drunk man attacked me. He wanted me to stop. Next day, I visited the police station, filed a complaint and continued my work. Hurdles like this did not bring my spirits down,” said the inspiring lake ranger. #Respect #RealLifeHero