As part of the train green program, the EG Green Team performed a Nukkad Natak -a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces- for the school. The audience responded really well and every single person took something away from the performance.
The following is the script for our Nukkad Natak:
Circle Chorus: Suno Suno Suno.
Sahiban, Mehrban, Kadardaan.
Karenge Swacch Bharat Abiyan
Na karenga kooda, Na phekenge jo ho kisi ka kaam.
Reduce, Recyle Reuse karenge,
Banayenge Bharat Mahan.
Banayenge Bharat Mahan.
Amma: Wonder what all that noise is about? Why are they creating such a scene?
Appa: Oh! They are some volunteers from an NGO. They are here to create an awareness on garbage management.
Amma: They must be educating the government officials and agencies. None of them are doing their work properly. They don’t come regularly enough. They come once in three days, as and when they like! Look how our apartment bins are overflowing with trash! It creates such an unhygienic environment for everyone!
Appa: What you say is true. But have you ever thought about whether we are doing our bit to keep our environment clean?
Amma (perturbed): What do you mean? I regularly collect all the trash and dump it in the bin every morning! Do you see a speck of dust around the house?
Appa (laughing): I agree, that you keep the house spic and span. But you end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater!
Amma: What! I’ve raised three healthy children, and you dare to say I’ve thrown the baby out with the bath water! (raising a ladle, as if to attack!) [Appa runs for cover]
Amit: (Coming to Appa’s rescue) Amma, please spare appa. He’s not trying to find fault with your upbringing. He’s only trying to say that you are throwing out useful stuff along with the trash,not only increasing the garbage, but also losing money and creating environmental problems.
Amma: Can you explain that?
Priya: Amma, let’s go and have a look at what you have in the trash bin today.
Amma: Ayiyayo, do you have no other work? Why are you wasting your time?
Priya: Come Amma. Garbage management is not a wasteful exercise. [All four go and sort through the trash in the house]
Priya looking through the trash.
Amit brings in three cans. One green, one red and one blue.
Priya takes out the items one by one.
Little Sunil joins in, excitedly: What’s going on?
Priya: Come help us sort the trash. Here are some plastic bottles and covers..
Priya: Amma, do you know throwing plastic along with the regular trash pollutes the environment? Animals like cow and goat may even consume them and die as a result. I think we can reuse the plastic covers and recycle the big bottles into planters and pen stands. You can even design them into a bird-feed.
Amit: I’ll take care of them. It will make an interesting summer project. Put them in the blue bin. Blue is for recyclable material like paper, plastic and metal.
Sunil helps.
Priya: (Pulling out more trash) This cover of old clothes can be donated to the needy, and the torn ones can be converted into quilts and cushions. I saw a lot of innovative ideas on the internet. Put them in the reuse bin.
Amit: Amma! Are you throwing away all this kitchen waste! Do you know it can be converted into compost? All it needs is a composting bin and saw dust. In three months time, all this will turn into fertile compost for the plants in the balcony.
Amma: But wont it smell?
Appa: We can keep it in a covered container in the corner of the balcony, and once saw dust is thrown over it, there is no bad smell that emanates.
Amma: I understand all this, but where is the time?
Appa: Anything worthwhile takes time. We will all help.
Amma: Well, if everyone is willing to help, it becomes easy for me, and I don’t have to dump a bag load of trash every single day. And all this is good for the environment, as you say. So why not start right away!
Appa: Come, lets join the people from the NGO and learn more about how to reduce, reuse and recycle.
NGO Members in a Circle : Yes. We can. Yes. We can.
Member 1 Reduce: Choose wisely when purchasing: Buy the best quality you can, repair and maintain items, and try to buy used or refurbished instead of new.
Chorus: Can we do it? Can we do it?
Amit and family: Yes we can. Yes we can.
Mb2 : Reuse: Sell, give away or donate reusable items instead of throwing them away. Use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic carrybags when shopping.
Chorus: Can we do it? Can we do it?
Amit and family: Yes we can. Yes we can.
Mb 3: Avoid plastic: Drink tap water or filtered water from reusable bottles rather than bottled water.
Chorus: Can we do it? Can we do it?
Amit and family: Yes we can. Yes we can.
Mb 4:Use reusable dishes and utensils and cloth towels and napkins instead of single-use products.
Chorus: Can we do it? Can we do it?
Amit and family: Yes we can. Yes we can.
Mb 5: Compost kitchen waste and reduce garbage.
Chorus: Can we do it? Can we do it?
Amit and family: Yes we can. Yes we can.
Mb 6: Following the three Rs, can help reduce garbage, gain precious resources and create a better environment for all of us. Let’s all join hands to support this initiative.
All: Na karenga kooda, Na phekenge jo ho kisi ka kaam.
Reduce, Recyle Reuse karenge,
Banayenge Bharat Mahan.
Banayenge Bharat Mahan
