Bengaluru: Young environmentalist Manya Harsha has been conferred the prestigious Youth Icon Award by Rotary Bangalore Northwest, District 3192, in recognition of her remarkable contributions to environmental conservation, climate literacy, and youth-led sustainability initiatives.
The award acknowledges Manya’s inspiring grassroots work that has positioned her among India’s emerging young climate leaders. Through her flagship Grandma’s Green Weave Campaign, she has transformed more than 2,200 discarded sarees into nearly 28,000 reusable cloth bags, helping divert significant textile waste from landfills while reducing dependence on single-use plastic bags. The initiative has also generated livelihood opportunities for local tailors and strengthened community participation in sustainable living.
Manya has consistently championed practical environmental solutions from a young age. During the pandemic, she developed an innovative process to create handmade vegetable paper from kitchen waste, promoting an eco-friendly alternative to conventional paper. Her environmental efforts also include planting around 40,000 saplings, collecting over 100 kilograms of waste, and conducting climate awareness workshops that have reached more than 25,000 participants.
Apart from her field work, Manya is the author of nine nature-themed books and previously served as editor of the Sunshine Fortnightly Environment Magazine, encouraging climate literacy among young readers.
The felicitation ceremony was held on 19 July 2026 in Bengaluru in the distinguished presence of District Governor AKS Ravishankar Dakoju. Rotary Bangalore Northwest stated that the honour recognises Manya Harsha’s commitment to blending traditional sustainable practices with innovative environmental solutions while inspiring children and young people to become active participants in climate action. Her growing body of work continues to demonstrate how youth-led initiatives can create measurable environmental and social impact.
