Two schoolgirls turn garbage picking into a community movement
Two schoolgirls in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand started picking up roadside garbage to clean their local environment despite facing initial mockery from others.
Manvi Rawat and Anshika Gaur began collecting litter instead of walking past it while people mocked their simple attempt to improve surroundings. They continued their work even when criticism turned their cleanup effort into a difficult test of personal resolve and character.
Their small effort became Pauri Eco Warriors, a student group with over forty members who now participate in regular cleanup drives together. About fifteen to eighteen volunteers join each session to tackle plastic pollution and remove waste from public spaces across the region.
The group now organizes plantation initiatives and distributes saplings to help protect local forests and natural landscapes from environmental harm. They also created Maulyaar, a community festival that encourages residents to share responsibility for conservation rather than treating it as an occasional activity. These actions build lasting habits for environmental care.
These students have planted more than ten thousand trees and cleaned over fifteen rivers while organizing activities in thirty villages. Their efforts have earned five awards and engaged hundreds of volunteers to protect mountains, forests, and rivers through sustainable practices. Community action grows from small beginnings.
“community action can begin on a small scale”