When Government Abdicates, People rush in

We can make impactful changes in our homes and society by small initiatives. All it needs is taking time off from our busy schedule and engaging in activities that will bear fruit in the future. Meet Dharmesh Barai, a Mumbai-based corporate professional who ably does this by balancing his professional life and passion for keeping his city clean.

Recently, Sony BBC Earth TV channel declared Dharmesh Barai, who runs an organization called Environment Life Foundation (ELF), as the Earth Champion.  When asked how ELF came into being, he said that as a student, the cutting of a tree canopy under which he would wait at Dadar Tram Terminus got etched on his impressionable mind.

“I noticed that the tree was chopped down just because it was blocking a shop’s signboard. This left a deep mark on me—it was painful to see how selfish human actions could destroy something so vital,” he shared his pain with this reporter. This led to ELF coming into being in 2008.

ELF has over the years emerged as one of Navi Mumbai’s largest youth-led environment movements. Apart from planting trees, ELF has also won plaudits for mangrove, waterfall, railway tracks, forts, monuments, and trekking routes cleaning drives,

The Foundation is well-known for its mangrove cleaning, which is held every Sunday for the past five years.  Volunteers have removed tons of plastic, glass, thermocol, and other hazardous items from Navi Mumbai’s mangrove forests with remarkable results.

“It has helped rejuvenate mangrove ecosystems, which are green lungs and act as natural barriers against floods, especially in coastal cities like ours. Cleaner mangroves have improved water quality and created a healthier habitat for marine life such as crabs, fish, mudskippers, and wild animals. Most importantly, the drive has helped to bring back flamingos and other migratory birds in the vicinity of the coastal belt,” he said while sharing the details about his work with First Draft.

His wife and daughter travel work shoulder to shoulder with him in his mission. “I let my daughter play with soil, plants, and trees so that she grows up with the same love for nature,” he said.

Barai also runs a plastic-free Sahyadri campaign. “It is aimed at protecting the Western Ghats, forts, monuments, roadside and popular trekking routes from plastic pollution. These areas attract thousands of tourists and trekkers, but unfortunately, they often leave behind bottles, wrappers, and single-use plastics. This not only spoils the beauty but also endangers wildlife,” he said.

“We involve trekking groups, villagers, and volunteers who collect waste, install awareness boards, and encourage visitors to carry their trash back,” he said, adding that it has paid dividends as many popular spots, including Malshej Ghat and forts like Lohagad, Asawa, Prabalgad, Sondai, Irshalgad, and Sudhagad, have become cleaner and safer. Following the cleaning, wild animals like monkeys, birds, and reptiles are less exposed to harmful plastic ingestion, and the forts have regained their lost glory, he said.

The campaign has left a lasting impression. “Many trekkers now voluntarily bring bags to carry their trash back, proving that awareness and community participation can lead to long-term behavioral change,” he emphasised.

In the past ELF has led railway track and waterfall cleaning campaigns too. Their waterfall cleaning resulted in removal of plastic accessories like liquor bottles, food wrappers, and clothes left behind by the tourists.

“Since October 2016, we have covered 22 waterfalls across the Sahyadri ranges and removed over 12 tons of trash with thousands of participants.” The waterfalls covered under this drive include Zenith, Pandavkada, Chinchoti, Aadai, and Tapalwadi among others.

During their track cleaning drive, they collected a large quantity of plastic items, bottles, and litter. The journey, as per Barai, has been “full of challenges but deeply rewarding.”

Lauding the contribution by the youth, he said: “Millennials and students are highly enthusiastic, energetic, and eager to contribute. Many see our drives not just as cleanups but as opportunities to connect with nature, learn about ecosystems, and take real action.”

With children enthusiastically participating with their parents, the drives have become awareness festivals. “They sing, click pictures, and share experiences on social media, spreading the message further,” he said.

He shared the story about how his campaign changed an introverted boy. “Learning about our drives through Instagram, he decided to join us. For 3-4 Sundays, he participated without informing his family. When his mother, a school teacher, discovered it, she felt proud and decided to join him. Today, both are active members of our team.”

Barai is euphoric over the visible shift in the public mindset. “Initially, people felt cleaning was the government’s responsibility. Now, a significant number of citizens actively participate and even take responsibility for their local environment. Locals inform us about illegal dumping, burning of waste, or cutting of mangroves, showing increased awareness and responsibility,” he said.

He recalled how residents cleaned up a waterfall stretch on their own without waiting for his team. Likewise, shopkeepers and fishermen who did not bother about littering now discourage it.

Harping on collective action, Barai stressed it has ripple effects. “When people see others working for the environment, it influences them to rethink their own habits and become part of the solution.” He pointed out that ELF volunteers now carry their own water bottles, refuse to buy plastic bottles, use cloth bags, and collect garbage during their outings.

“No system can succeed without individual and community participation…real change happens only when people themselves take ownership of their surroundings,” he said.

ELF now wants to expand and reach rural schools and villages with eco-education programmes. “We are developing action-based learning modules for students, where they will not only study nature but also participate in plantation, waste management, and conservation activities,” he shared his vision.

Further, they want to promote alternatives to plastic and encourage sustainable lifestyle practices in urban areas. “The goal is to build a citizen-driven environmental movement where conservation becomes a culture, not just a campaign,” he said.