It was a long way from Colorado for this UN Child Advisor, Madhvi Chittoor who decided to clean trash from Kanpur railway lines and Chennai beaches. The 13-year-old eco warrior and youngest UN Child Advisor roused the Kanpur Mayor, and Chennai folk to clean the garbage piled up while imparting awareness of plastic pollution. Yet, her real reason to visit India was as chief guest at the Allenhouse Public School Khalasi Lines on a two-day youth conference “Only One Earth” on July 26 and 27. Madhvi met the Kanpur Mayor Pramila Pandey after trying unsuccessfully to meet the MP, and calling a long list of people to get her attention. Later in Chennai, on a day slotted for fun for a girl, seeing trash floating in the waves, and plastic on the beach, she kept the fun aside, and instead organised a beach cleanup.
Madhvi, who earlier danced the Bharatanatyam on “Art for Climate” at the UNGC 26 on climate in Geneva in September 2023, and has been fondly called “No Styrofoam Ninja” for her movement to ban Styrofoam is all about “It is NOW for change.” Taking the onus upon herself to address the growing garbage situation she saw on her train journey to Kanpur from Delhi via the Vande Bharat Express on July 23, and later at the beach, Madhvi, along with her mother Lalitha decided to be the change.
Spotting piles of plastic trash as animals chomped away, along the sides of the railway tracks, and seeing people living in squalor brought out the activist in her. The US born child activist who has earlier gotten a reply to her letter to reign in AI from POTUS, President Joe Biden, went back to basics in Kanpur. Calls were made to officials, helplines, friends, supporters. She and her mother Lalitha finally with some students of Allenhouse Public School met the Mayor. “We spoke about two things – A climate action plan for Kanpur and cleaning up the trash near the Kanpur Railway Station’s JhakarKatti slum area,” says Madhvi.
Since the area is not under the Mayor’s purview, and under the Railways, the little upstart inveigled a pledge to clean the area, and even send her a picture.
“India can be more prudent only if its government cared enough for it’s people, the poorest of the poor, living in dismal conditions. What happened to the “Swachh Bharat” programme?” Madhvi asks, adding, “The Mayor Pramila Pandey has vowed to cleanup, and I also discussed climate issues with her.”
The Only One Earth conference saw Madhvi on a panel speak about her work, and how important it is to act. APSK Principal Ruchi Seth, director of APS Group Nausheen along with chairman Muktarul Amin had invited professors and scientists from IIT Kanpur, etc along with Chittoor to discuss circular economy, zero hunger, ghost gear and marine debris, climate education and journalism.
“Children are eager to learn, interact and think creatively to find solutions to combat the climate crises,” pipes Madhvi. Brandishing her activism, the clean-up drive in Chennai happened ad hoc when she visited schools and educated students about Plastic Pollution. Organising an impromptu beach cleanup at the Edward Elliot or Bessie Beach. “My mother, and I ran after the waves to collect the trash,” she adds, ready with trash bags, gloves and addressing inadvertent passersby about the negative impact of plastic pollution, asking people to join. Soon 20 youth, children, ex-servicemen, and adults participated on the 1 km stretch of beach – “It was all done in 30 minutes,” Madhvi smiles who on her United Airlines flight from New York to Delhi, had shared a message via her laptop urging people to write to the airlines to go plastic-free.
The whirlwind seven week tour has seen the ecowarrior, climate justice activist and changemaker focused on bringing about progressive action. Now, it’s back to school, composing, dancing, activism, and finding solutions. “The climate crisis is an environmental, social, economic, health and intergenerational justice issue,” says the 2024 Shimon Schwarzschild International Young Eco-Hero Award by @ActionForNature, Thrilled at how the Kanpur mayor and the railways responded to her on twitter, Madhvi is now onward, soldiering on for the earth.