Sustainable living: Meet everyday heroes taking climate action

Jibu Thettayil, a resident of Naigaon, shows earthworms, which he feeds to the fish living in his aquaponics setup.
Thettayil installed the aquaponics setup, a combination of aquaculture (keeping fish in a closed environment) and hydroponics (growing plants without providing soil) in 2013 at a cost of Rs20,000. Initially installed only to grow vegetables sustainably and recreationally, he plans to scale up to a commercial setup, as he believes that the upcoming generations will largely depend on alternative ways to grow food.

Thettayil cuts sponge gourds, which he has harvested in his aquaponics setup, on the roof of his house at Naigaon, Mumbai.

Jibu Thettayil cleans solar panels, which have helped bring down his electricity bill to zero.
Thettayil, an IT professional, installed the solar panels in 2022 at a cost of Rs4 lakh. After installation, his electricity bill is now completely zero. Whatever surplus electricity his solar panels produce goes to the grid. He aims to reduce carbon emissions and live a sustainable life.

Solar panels, which cost Rs56 lakh to install, have reduced electricity bills at Tulsi Prerna housing society in Panvel by 85 percent.
According to Sanjeev Srivastav, a vital member of the administrative committee of the residential complex, he first took the initiative to install solar panels on the roof of the building after being inspired by the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prioritise renewable energy sources. The solar panel setup cost was roughly Rs56 lakh, and with that, they reduced the electricity bill of the entire housing complex by around 85 percent.

Martin Xavier, a resident of Naigaon, cleans his solar water heater, which he installed 14 years ago.
Xavier installed the solar water heater in 2009 to reduce electricity bills and achieve the aim of living a sustainable life. The setup has been functional for over 14 years now, and the only maintenance it requires is cleaning the algae from the body of the tubes once a month. Installed at Rs18,000, the solar heater helps Xavier save around 15 to 20 percent on his monthly electricity bills.

Chetan Soorenji, a Tata employee by profession, puts green leaves in a chamber where he produces compost, located in the backyard of his house at Chembur in Mumbai.
According to Soorenji, this 25-year-old composting system is crucial in maintaining the pollinator habitat he has created around his house completely chemical-free. He doesn't use any chemical fertilisers or pesticides within his pollinator ecosystem.

Chetan Soorenji, a Tata employee by profession, tends to the passion fruit plants that he has grown on the roof of his house at Chembur in Mumbai.
The passion fruit plant was planted by Soorenji mainly as a green roofing solution for his house back in 2017. He reports that apart from having benefits like improving the air quality of the surroundings, the green roofing technique also plays a pivotal role in reducing the overall temperature of the house as it protects the roof from direct sunlight. Also, the flowers of the passion fruit plant serve as a significant pollinator magnet in his garden, which he has shaped as a pollinator habitat.