Gayatri Batra

The great wave off Kanagawa is a world-renowned painting. Its simplicity is its highlight and it exudes a sense of tranquillity. Our group of students have come up with an interesting twist to this masterpiece by Japanese artist HokuSai. We turned this to a toxic wave in our rendition, by sticking bits of plastic on the froth of the waves for textural effect to highlight the tragic and hazardous impact of plastics on our extraordinary environment.

We may have heard all about it, but do we truly ever understand the magnitude of the problem? Plastics choke the vast oceans and the lives embedded within them;they maim the creatures that we once called beautiful. The micro plastics we were so eager to get rid of, like a deceitful friend, find their way back to us through the fish we consume. More than 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone. Globally, we produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year -- half of that plastic is used for disposable items that will only be used once. As a result, more than 8 million tons of discarded plastic ends up in our oceans every single single year. Plastic management still tends to be a burning global issue ignored by many. We hope our project contributes to the collective actionto give the silent oceans a voice.

- Note by Gayatri Batra

Group participants (Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram)

• Gayatri Batra (Class 11)
• DiyaSareen (Class 10)
• RiyaaKhanna (Class 11)
• Rushil (Class 11)