Bengaluru: The Times of India’s #IamBengaluru – Volunteer for Parks initiative, presented by Multigen, completed its 75th volunteering event Sunday with a clean-up drive, de-weeding and eco-friendly activities for children at Jakkur Lake in north Bengaluru.Former IIIT-B director Prof Sadagopan and Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar participated in the event and congratulated TOI and the participating NGOs. Sadagopan also planted a tree on the lake premises.Addressing volunteers, particularly children, Sadagopan shared anecdotes from his experiences at Purdue University, IIT Kanpur and IIIT-B to highlight the power of volunteering. He urged people to move beyond complaints and take consistent action to bring about change.“Look at this as a great opportunity to make a difference. Hopefully, your great-grandchildren can assemble here a hundred years from now and still enjoy this lake,” he said.He added that India’s population was its biggest strength and volunteering could channel people’s energy towards a common cause.
BNCC chief Pommala Sunil Kumar
Sunil Kumar spoke about the challenges civic authorities face in managing waste and preventing littering. He called for behavioural change in society to curb littering and irresponsible waste disposal. “We’ve introduced a dedicated phone-in programme for solid waste management that will be held Tuesdays, apart from the regular phone-in Fridays. We’ve made a micro-plan for waste management and welcome citizens to participate and monitor the process at mustering centres,” he said.Vivek Singhal, managing director of Multigen India, emphasised the importance of giving back to communities and supporting their well-being. “This is a responsibility we believe every corporate should embrace. For Multigen, ‘Crafted for Generations’, in addition to being our tagline, also means caring for the shared green spaces that will serve generations to come,” he said.“Our participation in #IAmBengaluru brought families together to care for the city’s parks. Plogging and de-weeding turned physical activity into an opportunity to volunteer with purpose, while creative workshops allowed children to explore and express their bond with nature and Bengaluru. We hope these moments of collective action will encourage people of all ages to take lasting ownership of our city’s well-being,” Singhal added.
#IamBengaluru – Volunteer for Parks initiative on Sunday was attended by former IIIT-B director Prof Sadagopan and BNCC chief Pommala Sunil Kumar
Annapurna S Kamath, founder of Jalaposhan, highlighted the role of local communities in protecting lakes and parks. “When a community volunteers to protect its urban commons like lakes and parks, it becomes easy for governance as well because it brings about the necessary behavioural change,” she said.She added that Jalaposhan focused on involving children in such efforts to foster a lasting commitment to environmental conservation. “At Jalaposhan, we believe in involving people by ‘catching them young’. Children are our future, and their participation will increase the overall commitment and dedication to these causes.”Aruna Iyer, principal of Greenfield Public School in Sampigehalli, Jakkur, said the initiative gave students and parents an opportunity to contribute to environmental conservation. “We’re delighted to be associated with TOI in the #IamBengaluru initiative, providing our parents and students with an opportunity to help create awareness about environmental conservation and actively participate in efforts to revive and rejuvenate our beautiful city,” she said.Participants SpeakMani Prasad, software engineer: “The event was a good exposure for my daughter Sanjana, who learnt about community service and also met personalities like Prof Sadagopan and the BNCC commissioner. We hope these activities motivate her to take up responsible roles for the community.”Subbaiah Nachiappan | Jakkur resident: “We all love nature, but how many of us put in effort to clean up natural spaces? This was an activity to inspire young minds to actively participate in the upkeep of our neighbourhoods. It was a great experience participating in the clean-up drive as a family.”Prakash MB | biology lecturer, Govt PU College, Jakkur: “I participated in the clean-up drive with my daughter and two of my students. Apart from understanding the various ways in which lake ecosystems in the city are threatened, we must take initiative and help preserve them. We look forward to participating in more such events.”
