Changemaker: Woman on mission to educate citizens on waste mgmt

Gurugram: Bhavisha Buddhadeo, 50, believes environmental conservation goes beyond tree plantation

Gurugram: Bhavisha Buddhadeo, 50, believes environmental conservation goes beyond tree plantation. Identifying waste management as one of Gurugram’s most pressing challenges, she said its her mission to educate the younger generation about sustainable waste practices.

Bhavisha Buddhadeo

Every week, Buddhadeo and her team conduct awareness sessions in government and private schools across Gurugram and Delhi-NCR, teaching students about waste segregation and recycling to enlist long-term behavioural change among them.

In 2018, Buddhadeo founded Root Skill, a social enterprise, to work primarily with women and youth. “The purpose of these workshops is to empower women and youth, train them to generate revenue from available resources,” she said.

Through weekly workshops, she said her organisation educates students and school staff on sustainability, waste segregation and responsible environmental practices. The sessions encourage participants to adopt simple everyday habits that contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable city while fostering a sense of responsibility towards preserving the environment for future generations.

“While Gurugram has undertaken several environmental initiatives over the years, waste management has remained a neglected area,” she said.

Buddhadeo said the organisation trains women in waste segregation by teaching them to separate dry and wet waste at the source. The training not only promotes sustainable waste management practices but also creates livelihood opportunities by connecting women with NGOs and organisations engaged in recycling and waste management, enabling them to earn an income while contributing to environmental conservation.

In addition to waste management awareness, Root Skill has organised several mass plantation drives across Gurugram over the past eight years. As part of its outreach, the team distributes seeds to students and school staff.

Buddhadeo said the organisation has 65 official volunteers and has also expanded its presence to Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune.

She also added that through her digital outreach programmes, she encourages people to minimise the use of single-use plastics, segregating recyclable plastic waste.

“The mission is to preserve nature, produce in a sustainable way and consume wisely. Together we can make a difference,” she added.

With Gurugram generating thousands of tonnes of waste every day, Buddhadeo believes lasting change can only come through public participation and awareness. She said educating children, empowering women and encouraging responsible waste management practices at the household level are key to building a cleaner and more sustainable city.