School kids ask citizens to switch to paper bags

PANAJI: Mushtifund Primary School, Panaji, on Tuesday opened an eco-club, a new beginning in the school’s extra-curricular department. Right on the first day, students of the school, situated at Shree Mahalaxmi Temple complex in the city, made paper bags and persuaded vendors in the Panaji market to opt for these instead of plastic bags.
Headmistress Gauri Kamat said that the eco-club is an initiative by teachers and students to raise awareness among the younger generation about the importance of preserving nature.
Architect Tallulah D’Silva, who addressed the students, quoted Gandhi: “What we do to our forests is what we do to ourselves.” She said the habit of saving the environment should be practised in one’s houses as well. She also told students to start using paper bags while shopping with their parents, as well as to utilise organic materials in daily life.
The event witnessed dances and skits, following which D’Silva organised an interactive session during which she taught students how to make paper bags out of old newspapers.