Against all odds: Why this Pune lawyer wears a ‘green’ robe

“Climate change is the most important issue facing us and we are not talking about it enough,” she says. For many climate-conscious people, the apathy around the environment is worrying, but Jachak tells herself that she has already overcome the biggest obstacle of building momentum.

Jachak had not accounted for how demanding it would be for a woman juggling a career and a large family to take up a social project. “I have to organise myself again and again. I need to give time to my health as well. You are not getting paid for social responsibility, so you can only do it if you’re passionate,” she says.

The kids are alright

Jachak’s initiative engages with schools on the topic of climate change. “There are always hurdles,” says Jachak. Despite the popularity of Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, most children lack practical knowledge about environmental degradation.

The programme, created through trial and error, promises adventure and the potential for lasting impact. It involves teachers becoming climate gurus, students turning into climate champions, a climate summit, climate buddies, group outings, monthly activities, discussions with experts, felicitations, awards and, perhaps the best of all, mothers and fathers teaming up with the kids to form climate councils in schools. The chatter concerns trees, biodiversity, lost species and carbon footprints.

Initially, not everybody was impressed. Several schools sent Jachak away with assurances that they were already doing their bit on climate change. “When we were approaching schools, we also contacted an association of school principals called Tuesdays for Tomorrow, and they got attached to us in the programme and gave us a break,” she says.

She was also upset that children were falling ill frequently. “Earlier, it used to be with the onset of winter or change of seasons but, now, it is clear that the environmental degradation is taking its toll. I am concerned about the changes in the city that I have been staying in since I was born. Under the umbrella of development, we are destroying our rivers and hills. It made me even more convinced that we need to bring children on board because, eventually, they are the biggest change agents,” she says.

She and the small team could only reach out to a few people and children. “We realised that teachers are the best change agents within the school because they themselves are the policymakers in schools. So, we started off with a teachers’ training programme and had knowledge-sharing sessions every month with them,” she says. The programme is looking for volunteers for the new season.

Tree cheers

In July 2023, Pune Climate Warriors tracked the air quality Index. In September 2023, they made colourful charts, maps, and projects to understand rivers and dams, the threats facing water bodies, and possible solutions. In October 2023, the season of festivals and crowds, the focus was on waste management in schools and surrounding areas.

It is the tree plantations that perplex Jachak. Children like August because it is a month of growing trees. “But, many a time, we have a problem finding space to plant saplings in urban areas,” she says.

Bin there

The programme’s crowning event is a climate summit that brings children on a platform. Last year, as Jachak, who had stayed up nights creating the artwork on Canva and getting sponsors for the lights, stage, and other elements, wandered around the Summit, a child came up to her and said, “Ma’am, people are not segregating waste in separate bins.”

“I realised that we should put more emphasis on segregating waste everywhere. We need to remind ourselves every day of small changes in order to make it a habit,” says Jachak.