Someone interesting I met a few days ago...

Imagine a young girl being fascinated by the beautiful land of Kerala- with lush green paddy fields, coconut palms, lakes and rivers. She always thought of herself as a farmer born in an urban middle class family. She got married moved to various places over the years with her husband. Her love for nature traveled with her. The young girl is now 73 years old and fondly known to many as Sudha aunty.

Sudha Pai, now a resident of the Magarpatta city continues to pursue her passion for plants. She has been primarily responsible for making the area zero garbage zone. She has been working towards making people aware about garbage waste management. Regularly she interacts with people from different walks of life to tell them about the techniques of waste management. Conducting lectures with practicals is one of the projects recently taken up by her. Interaction with the younger generation is her favourite.

One thing is obvious when you visit Sudha aunty's house that she acts what she preaches. After her husband retired from the National Defence Academy she lost the luxury of owning large area for gardening. They had to move to different urban localities. According to aunty, “Unlike in the N D A, the areas in Pune had many problems of which the worst was the accumulation and disposal of garbage. I had to remain a mute spectator to the growing apathy of the P M C whose job it was to tackle the issue.” The only way she could express her feelings was by writing about it and giving practical solutions to others by which all of us can make good use of our wet garbage.

She hosts a garden at home that has a huge variety of plants and trees. Medicinal plants, apple, banana, strawberry, lemon and various flowers including exotic orchids are just a few to name. All result of her not so secret trick to maintain this garden. The three processes of garbage management she implements – bio culture, vermiculture and EM process. It is not unusual to see her utilize her knowledge and give special advice to her neighbours to utilize their kitchen waste in the garden in their own small way.

Sudha aunty has taken it as the mission of her life. She wants the slogan, “My garbage, my responsibility’ to be widely disseminated among common people. Her garden witnesses frequent student visitors. This is the generation she would like to interact more with and make them aware as they can work towards finding long-term solution to the increasing menace.

Though the experience to convince people has not been easy, she hasn’t lost hope. Last three-four years, she feels that she has seen things change in her surroundings. Sudha aunty strongly feels that the need of the hour is not to blame the PMC or the rag pickers. It is time to co-operate and work together. She adds, “the simplest thing that we can start with is segregating our garbage into dry and wet garbage. And then take it from there.”

When asked about her energy and enthusiasm levels at this age. Here comes a quick reply, “Working in my garden gives me energy.” People at her age go for pilgrims, but “for me this is my pooja. God exists here, “says Sudha aunty.

Email sudhaspai@hotmail.com

Small note on my experience:

A couple of days before the interview with Sudha Pai, I got a call from my aunt asking me to get in touch with her as she thought I might get something interesting to write. I didn't know what to expect (I secretly thought that it might be one of the 'you have to do' interviews). I was pleasantly surprised. As soon as, I met her I knew this was going to be one the most interesting interviews. In fact the meeting was so interesting that I was afraid that I won't be able to do justice to it while writing. It went on for a while and at no point did it seem like a formal interview. The time there was filled with lot of bud-bud (marathi for non-stop talking) from both sides. The moment I left her house, I messaged mum and a friend "I have found a new aaji (grandmother)"