Only activism will not help, a little glamour will add to awareness, says philanthropist Asif Bhamla

You have in the past brought in Bollywood stars to spread awareness on environmental issues. How does their involvement help?
I believe the involvement of the actors comes in because they are not just famous faces or names but also role models for the public. As many of them are residents of Bandra, they come as local residents of the suburb who believe their inputs will help make a difference to the environment. We will also be inviting heads of many Advance Locality Management (ALM) groups and federation members of Bandra’s residents’ associations to spread awareness. We believe only activism would not help… a little glamour factor will add to awareness among people.

What are Mumbai’s gravest environmental challenges, in your opinion?
I believe Mumbai is facing a lot of environmental problems… rampant tree-felling, improper waste management, and lack of cleanliness. Mumbai is lagging as far as environmental protection is concerned. However, we do have hope in the new generation. I have personally targeted my home constituency for raising awareness and I believe that with a combined effort from resident associations, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and celebrities, we will be able to initiate a better response from people.

Recycling efforts and segregation of waste in homes and industry have not yet picked up as much as they should have. How can we urge Mumbaites to go green?
On that front, my organisation has been active in trying to reach people in Bandra and make them aware about the segregation of dry and wet garbage. Our tie-up with various residents’ associations makes sure the work of recycling garbage is done well. We also award the heads of ALMs that do a great job. For example, we awarded Anandini Thakur and David Cardoz, specialists in protection of green spaces and composting.

Suburbs like Bandra, where there are plenty of hotels and pubs and shops as well as active citizens’ groups can be a model for other areas. Are Bandra’s people aware of environment issues?
Yes, Bandra is a role model for other areas, with the kind of work it has carried out for environmental protection. However, our work is not just restricted to the fifth of June. I personally believe awareness of environmental protection is a round-the-year activity. Thus, we have asked various schools in Bandra to undertake projects like tree-mapping, clean-up campaigns and green drives through which they will learn better about this issue. I think an issue like environmental protection must be embedded since school in children and thus for the same cause, I plan to meet the Chief Minister, and the state education minister and ask them to initiate more awareness programmes.

How closely do you personally relate to the issue of protection of the environment?
I have been involved in the subject of raising awareness for environment protection since I was 15. With an NGO named ‘I love Bandra’, an effort of the late actor Sunil Dutt, I laid its foundation and today, with Bhamla Foundation, I plan to take this up on a much larger scale. I want Bandra to be like how it was 20 years back- with more tress, less cars and less pollution. Thus, we will plant at least 20,000 to 25,000 saplings in Bandra, Khar and Santacruz by the end of this year.