Taking a break from their specified course, the departmental students and the staff are spreading the message about the hazards of plastic. At the moment, they are engaged in making cloth bags for themselves so that they no longer need to use the `disposable' -- a misnomer, if there ever were one -- plastic bags.

Talking to Express Newsline on Wednesday, Hemlata Raval of the department said, ``Though we were vaguely aware of the dangers of plastic, the Express campaign has made us more conscious. Now we are making our students, too, aware how not just human beings, but even animals are affected by improperly disposed plastic''.

She added, ``It is only by using cloth bags ourselves that we can spread the message elsewhere''.

Though the department does not expect all its students to abandon plastic bags altogether, the initial efforts have evoked a positive response from the students. The campaign, a month-old now, is trying to create awareness through colourful posters on the notice board; department students, on their part, have already decided to do away with the plastic bags they used to bring their assignments in.

``We are just trying to do something in our small way'', said Raval. ``There are no plans to take the campaign to other departments at the moment''.

However, she was confident that the message would soon spread to other departments. ``Anyone who visits the department will appreciate the need to do away with the flimsy plastic bags'', Raval said confidently. ``I'm sure they too will do the eco-friendly thing by minimising the use of plastic bags''.