A huge 21-foot-tall sculpture shaped like a big fish, made from 20,000 waste plastic bottles by students of the Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Berhampur, was unveiled on Thursday. The event was attended by Amit Garg, CEO, of TPSODL (TP Southern Odisha Distribution Ltd) and ITI director Dr Rajat Kumar Panigrahi.
Institute aims to promote plastic-free water culture
ITI Berhampur is implementing the 'Waste to Wealth' concept by creating a unique scrap park where sculptures are crafted from discarded materials. The institute's 'Swachhata Hi Seva' mission aims to promote a plastic-free water culture. The primary objective of this project is to address plastic pollution, which poses a threat to aquatic ecosystems, according to Dr. Panigrahi. When plastic waste reaches the oceans, it harms marine life, disrupts the food chain, and pollutes the delicate ocean environment.
Students from Various ITI trades pooled their efforts to create 'fish' sculpture
Recycling plastic bottles into impactful art installations will create public awareness about this environmental threat and will encourage responsible waste management practices, says Dr Panigrahi, who is known as the 'Scrap Man of Odisha'. The meticulous design process of this fish sculpture began in February and students from various ITI trades like fitter, mechanic, agriculture, painter and electrician, along with their instructors pooled their efforts to create this 'fish'.
Last year, on Gandhi Jayanti, students of ITI, Behrampur created a 23-foot-high elephant sculpture made from 30,000 used plastic bottles. The mission will continue, says Dr Panigrahi.
