Who: Abhilash Salimath
Education: BE in Civil Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology; MSc in Environmental Engineering Technology from KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Abhilash Salimath has always loved the environment and been very protective of it. In college, he specialised in Environmental Engineering and always planned to do something meaningful with his skills.
However, the inspiration for starting his company, Being Eco, came from an outreach programme he took part in. For six months, Abhilash lived and worked in a Dalit community and was deeply affected by the problems he saw there. Due to a lack of facilities and money, there was a lot of open defecation and bad hygiene. While living there he helped build toilets and create waste management system. He quickly realised that to spread the word, he would need help. Soon after that Being Eco was born.
Abhilash says that many people, including himself, often blame the government and are reluctant to take steps to better the world. He and his team have taken on the responsibility of educating people on waste management.
The team often teaches workshops on waste management, helps people learn to compost, and have even held classes to teach people about the basics of going green. Being Eco is also working with some towns in Karnataka to create waste management systems for the whole community. Future plans include introducing people to the solar power, rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment.
Abhilash says that change starts at your doorstep and that people need to accept the responsibility for what they throw away as well. Thanks to Abhilash and his team, people are now realising that the environment and the planet need to be treated better. A cleaner, greener environment can only result in a better and happier community.
Long Story Short
- Abhilash Salimath is an Environmental Engineer turned entrepreneur
- Abhilash is passionate about the planet and the environment
- After working with the Dalit community for six months, he realised he needed to do more to spread awareness about waste management.
- He founded Being Eco to tackle waste management solutions.
- The team plans to introduce people in rural communities to solar power, rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment.