Mumbai [India], October 8 : The US Consul General to Mumbai, Mike Hankey inaugurated 70 new benches for visa applicants in collaboration with the Indian regional passport office in Bandra Kurla Complex on Tuesday.
The benches were painted with various messages promoting the importance of recycling waste. The plastic waste was donated by the citizens of Mumbai as a part of the Project Mumbai Plastic Recyclothon and E-waste Recyclothon initiative.
Consul General Hankey told ANI, that the project is a model of "sustainable urban development"
Being asked about the number of Indian students coming to US, he said, "This year we have processed a record nymber of student visas. Last year we reached a first-ever highest number where India sent the most students of any country, and the number one place to process them was here in Mumbai."
Hankey said that this collaboration is an effort towards climate change. He added that government, businesses and citizens need to play their part to battle climate change.
"Students can sit on these benches and get inspired on how they can use their education to change the world," the Consul General added.

He said the idea came to mind after interactions with the MEA, Maharashtra state government, the American Embassy and the civil society so as to have sustained use and environmental protection of resources.
To expand this initiative further, such benches will be installed outside metro lines so that people benefit the most out of this initiative.