Mumbai Confirmands Launch Water-Saving, Tree-Planting and Waste Drives during Season of Creation

Seventy-five young people preparing for Confirmation at St. Anthony’s Church in Vakola, Mumbai, have launched a series of environmental initiatives during the Season of Creation 2026, linking Christian formation with practical action to care for the environment.

Mumbai, one of India’s largest cities, faces growing challenges related to water use, waste management and urban environmental sustainability. The parish initiatives seek to involve families and the wider community in addressing these concerns.

Under the guidance of parish priest Fr. Francis Carvalho, spiritual director Fr. Joyous Koreth and Team Confirmation coordinator Cecil Correia, the confirmands are focusing on water conservation, tree planting, household composting, plastic waste management and environmental awareness.

A water conservation campaign launched on October 4 carries the theme, “One Household. Two Buckets a Day. A Parish Saving Millions of Litres.” Parishioners are encouraged to save two buckets of water each day, estimated at about 30 liters per household. With about 3,000 parish households, the campaign aims to save an estimated 2.7 million liters of water each month if all households participate.

The parish is distributing Water Conservation Pledge Cards to encourage families to make water-saving practices part of their daily routines.

The confirmands have also nurtured more than 1,200 medicinal and flowering plants over two months for free distribution to parishioners and members of the wider community. The initiative aims to encourage home gardening, support urban biodiversity and give young people a direct role in caring for creation.

A home composting awareness initiative teaches families how to convert organic household waste into compost. The confirmands encourage residents to segregate wet and dry waste, reduce household waste and reuse organic material for gardens and plants.

A plastic waste collection drive scheduled for October 24 and 25 aims to collect more than 500 kilograms of plastic waste in collaboration with the parish’s Small Christian Communities. Parishioners have been asked to collect recyclable plastic from their homes for proper disposal and recycling.

The program also included a September 20 formation session on care for creation, which encouraged the confirmands to translate their Christian faith into everyday environmental practices.

The young people are using social media to promote the initiatives through posters, digital content, slogans, campaign messages and short videos. They are also engaging civic representatives and municipal authorities to expand environmental awareness beyond the parish.

The confirmands have been directly involved in planning and implementing the activities, including nurturing saplings, promoting water conservation, organizing waste collection and mobilizing families through Small Christian Communities. They have also composed a song on care for creation.

The parish initiative is guided by the message, “Living Water, Growing Hope, Caring for Creation,” and seeks to encourage lasting changes in environmental habits among young people and families.