Meet Ripu Daman Bevli Who Made Plogging Popular In India
An athlete and a fitness enthusiast, Ripu Daman Bevli, 31, started plogging in 2017 and gave rise to a new cleanliness cum fitness trend in India. Plogging is waste picking while jogging. So not only does it help the person stay fit but since the person also picks up plastic wrappers and other such trash lying around while jogging, it also helps clean up the surroundings.
In order to make people aware about this unique style of cleanliness and fitness drive, Mr. Bevli regularly organises plog runs. To further intensify his efforts towards popularising plogging he started a 'Run for clean and fit India' in the months September- November in which 50 plog runs were organised covering 1,000 kilometres across 50 cities in the country.
According to Mr. Bevli, people across the country are getting excited about plogging and participate in large numbers in the runs he organises. He said, "The idea behind organising plog run is to bring people from across the spectrum of the society and motivate them to set an example for others by cleaning their city while working towards keeping themselves fit. We recieve very enthuiastic response from people during plog runs."
Nearly 20 lakh children live on the streets of India, without an identity, a name to call their own, a place to call home, sleeping on empty stomachs for days and nights. These twenty lakh are children, who have dreams, who have rights, who are our tomorrow. They are living in the shadows today.
During these unprecedented times, not everyone can afford the privilege of social distancing. And not everybody can stay home during the lockdown, simply because they don’t have a home. Those living in poverty are extremely vulnerable, struck with a sudden lack of funds, food, mobility and a struggle for survival. And, as with all humanitarian crises, it is the children who have been affected the most.
It is always the children on the street who are subjected to some of the harshest realities of life. Today they are battling a catastrophic crisis, and it’s time we step in to protect them.
As a part of our COVID-19 response, Save the Children is working across various regions and has already directly reached over 18,000 children and adults to cover their basic needs. The organisation is ensuring their daily needs and their dignity and hygiene are also being cared for. Save the Children has identified 2.5 lakh children in cohorts, across 10 cities in India. Reaching out to these children with emergency relief is a top priority. But this cannot be done alone.
Save the Children and NDTV join hands to bring focus to the lives of children living in street situations. As India fights the Coronavirus, we must not forget one of the most marginalised and excluded groups whose lives have been long ignored – street-connected children. The 21-day campaign will generate public interest and raise funds to ensure these 20 Lakh+ children who live, earn, sleep and eat on our streets are cared for and protected. Amidst the crisis the world is facing, they are most vulnerable, exposed to infection and disease.