Meet Umasri Pujyam, a 15-year-old NRI who took up campaign to save Godavari; check details

synopsis

Umasri

Umasri Pujyam, a 15-year-old girl from Memphis, Tennessee, has taken up a complex initiative to solve the severe environmental problems harming the Godavari river section close to Razole in the Konaseema region. She started her project after visiting the Ponnamanda hamlet, where she was born, and seeing firsthand the severe effects of these environmental problems.

In the past two years, Umasri had organised over 100 river clean-up days on the Godavari, enlisting the assistance of volunteers from the neighbourhood to combat the problem of pollution. Additionally, she is teaching neighbourhood residents on how to properly dispose of garbage and how to lessen their environmental effect.

It was during this she founded the "Youth Against Water Pollution" organisation with the intent of raising awareness on water pollution.

She managed her time in this mission by staying in India for several months during the beginning of the project when her classes were conducted in virtual mode in 2021. Since then, she has focussed on bringing awareness through a website, social media accounts, etc. apart from her fieldwork during her visits to India.

Speaking to a news agency, Umasri, who is currently studying in Class X, said that despite living next to the river, people of her village have been forced to buy water due to the contamination.

"Our village Ponnamanda is a largely agricultural-based place. My parents both grew up in the Konaseema district and I lived there until our family moved to the USA when I was 4. My relatives continue to live there, so I still feel attached to it," Umasri said.

"I found that river Godavari, which is central to the livelihoods of millions of people, is facing a range of threats, including water and plastic pollution. I am also concerned about the impact of agricultural practices on the local environment," she added.

Umasri said that she cleans the river on her own but also recruits volunteers if she can when asked if she works with locals. "I have collaborated with local officials and politicians including Amalapuram MP Chinta Anuradha and Razole MLA Rapaka to help work towards better environmental policies and conditions as well," Umasri further said.