Bhubaneswar: Life in the city can be a whirlwind of hustle, bustle, and endless concrete. But this story isn’t about the city’s chaos; it’s all about a boy and his selfless love for the environment that will undoubtedly inspire you to do your bit for Mother Earth. Amidst towering skyscrapers and endless traffic jams, Bhubaneswar-based Shantanu Swaroop has developed a passion for a greener world at the age of 10 and has been creating environmental awareness through his artworks.
Shantanu, a Class V student of Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, is barely ten but he understands that environmental awareness is essential to demonstrate how humans can protect and preserve their natural resources. Thus he educates his friends and others through his art pieces on how they can reduce the use of plastics and water waste while promoting recycling to reduce landfill waste.
That’s not all. He also creates awareness on river conservation, animal safety, road safety and tree plantation through his art.
Shantanu’s love for the environment unfolded against the backdrop of a city that had its fair share of environmental challenges. But Shantanu is determined to make a difference. Despite being a teenager, Shantanu has embarked on a journey towards green city living, a lifestyle that seeks to minimize the environmental footprint while maximizing the quality of life in urban areas.
For Shantanu, art is not just an expression of emotion but also a medium for communicating ideas.
Though almost all people are very aware of the fact that life would not be conceivable without resources like sunlight, fresh water, vegetation and air, many hesitate to do their bit for the environment. But Shantanu is completely different. At a very tender age, he has understood the importance of the environment.
“Life is possible on earth thanks to its resources like sunlight, fresh water, vegetation, and air. It would be impossible for us to envision our lives without these resources. However, a majority of people have taken these natural resources for granted for which our earth is losing its beauty and charm”, said Shantanu.
To prove his point, this little boy beautifully depicts a story.
“Long long ago, the Almighty created a wonderful earth full of plants. He gave the earth beauty, joy, and greenery. Then God created birds and other animals to inhabit the forests, meadows, and fields. However, God wanted somebody to look after his lovely creation and creatures. So he created human beings, the smartest and most intellectual of all of his creatures. To ensure proper care of his creations, God then forewarned men, saying, “You must preserve the earth and its serene beauty and greenery. When you get to Earth, do not sin. Otherwise, the earth will become a large desert and lose all of its beauty. Of late, people have lost sight of God’s warning. They are stealing, telling lies and doing other sinful things. As a result, Earth has lost its charm and is getting polluted day by day. Earth’s greenery is fast disappearing due to large-scale deforestation, climate change, pollution, urbanization and biodiversity loss,” the young crusader said.
He continued: That’s why I appeal to everyone to embrace green city living, and you will discover a deeper connection to your city and each other.”
During summer vacation, students generally go for vacations and enjoy their days by playing and merrymaking. Shantanu, however, spends his vacation by making seed balls or seed bombs.
The Class V student apart from creating awareness through his painting, assists his father in making seedballs which are also known as earth balls. He also makes sure to plant two saplings a week and water plants on an everyday basis. Besides, he loves feeding stray animals.
Talking about his inspiration, he said, “My father Sushant Sahu is my greatest inspiration. From a very tender age, my father made me realize the importance of saving the earth. As my father is actively involved in social work, his works inspired me to do my bit for society. But when it comes to art, I learnt it from my mother who is an art teacher. My parents discovered my passion for art and encouraged me to come up with good and meaningful art pieces for the sake of the environment.”
By Rashmi Rekha Das
