Environment day Writeups

Life of a pachyderm

At a time before the dawn, it was dark and misty all over the place. The herd of elephants were seen with their calves moving at a steady pace. The elephants were migrating from one patch of the forest to another which they do quite often to escape hunger due to less availability of resources. Amongst the herd, a mother Elephant was seen more cautious with two of its own baby elephants and was more protective than others. There was a reason for such cautiousness. 

Years back when this mother elephant was young and was moving in the same manner with its mother in search of food, it lost its brother in a train accident. Such incidents often occur when elephants migrate. Some die because of the train, some in road accidents struck by a truck and some purposefully killed by the poachers. So the elephant knew that life was full of challenges and intuitively protected the calves all along the way her herd marched. 

Miles of the untiring march had shrunk the herd’s destination. At last, they had to cross a railway track in order to enter into the forest which was abundant in its resources. The mother elephant was agitated seeing the track and so with more care, it guided the calves to cross the railway line but misfortune struck and one of the baby elephant’s leg was caught hold in the railway track. Heartbroken mother elephant tries it's best to save her baby. Time passes and the other elephants moved along the herd leaving them stranded behind since anytime a train could come and hit. 

“With some more time, there was a chance to rescue the baby,” thought the mother, only if the train doesn’t arrive. Time passed, it was already mid-noon and still, the mother elephant was trying hard to rescue the baby. It also constantly kept the vigil of the arrival of the train. After a daylong of struggle just before the dusk, the mother elephant successfully pulled its baby from the railway track where its leg was struck. The mother was filled with abundant joy and relief of saving its baby and also wondered that no train had come failing which would have worsened everything. 

The poor elephant didn’t know that there was a complete lockdown in the country and no train was in operation. Thanks to Corona for saving wildlife!

Writeup by

Zakir Hussain.P

The plastic menace

Tons of plastics are used by humans all over the world and are also burned which releases toxic gases which affect our environment. The use of plastic is inevitable in our daily lives since it has replaced all other products due to its cheap price and portability. In most places, the usage of plastic can be avoided, but we never tend to do it. Government has taken many major steps to avoid unnecessary usage of plastics but the use of plastics among the public has not been decreased to a great extent. There are incidents being reported about the harmful effects of plastic on many living species on earth. Plastics have also infiltrated the ocean ecosystem and we could see the loss of marine organisms due to consumption of plastic waste that is dumped into the ocean. It is true that many plastic products at present have been replaced with its organic alternative like straws, teacups etc. but the complete reduction of usage will be a game-changer to the present ecosystem. Any change in the world is possible only when people change themselves. So on this environment day, we all shall pledge to reduce the usage of plastics in our daily lives and make the earth a better place to live. 

Writeup by

Samrin.P

Life in a concrete jungle

In our day to day busy life, most of us don’t have time to stop by and observe our surroundings, by which I mean our environment. Tremendous changes have been occurring in the environment each day as a result of our human occupation. We all know the negative effects we have done on the environment but how many of us have taken a moment to consider everything the environment has contributed to us? The environment gives us the essence of living and makes us feel more alive. In this concrete jungle everywhere we lay hands upon are man-made structures and un-lively artefacts. Once we step away from the bustling city into a greener surrounding like mountain ranges or the countryside we can connect with nature in more astounding ways. From the singing of birds, the hum of insects, the flower’s natural aromatherapy to fresh and clean air. Where the environment is cleaner, is where we feel more alive. Living amongst the concretes have made our mind and heart like one let us step away once in a while to take in what nature herself has given to us, but let's not ruin its beauty by polluting wherever we lay feet upon, instead let's go green and conserve the environment. 

Writeup by

Mridhu.B.R

The present 'environment' due to global pandemic

I am a native of the Nilgiris district which is the first biosphere reserve in India. All these years I have seen different people from all over India visiting our place as tourists. Though I am fond of seeing people who are unique regarding their culture and language, I always hated the tourists flowing in for the trash they throw in many ecologically sensitive areas near buffer zones of forests, waterfalls, shola grassland etc., the incoming tourists would revive the local economy but not the environment. Though the government is penalizing for using plastic bags and littering in sensitive areas the trash in the environment has never decreased. Another major problem is of pollution that trucks, buses and other modes of transport release into this ascetic place. The global pandemic due to coronavirus though proven a deadly disease to us has revived the environment and beauty of the Nilgiris to a great extent. No wild animals were reported being killed in road accidents, pollution-free air and trash free places in this lockdown has given hope for the forest and the wild species to survive further with ease. I spotted many wild pigs and endangered bird species near the Railway station which could not be seen in the town usually. What excited me in this lockdown is the chirping sound of the birds that I heard all-round the day because of the silence in the streets. Thanks to the lockdown for making me cherish the lost environment.

Write up by

Zakir Hussain. P

What do we have for our future generations?

Environmental pollution is one of the key problems faced in our modern world. Though there have been massive technological advancement in these recent days, it has also invited negative effects to the environment. By doing a simple thing like planting a tree, we shall be making the world a better place and for sure we shall always live to be proud of our achievement.

Saving the environment is not just an issue anymore. It is a survival truth. Individuals, organisations and governments need to come together and join hands to protect what is left of our planet so that the future is not wiped out before it’s time for a curtain call.

Experts say that proper handling of waste materials, such as reusing or disposing of them properly, should constitute an important part of our efforts to preserve energy and protect the environment. Countries worldwide should use less coal and more reusable power like hydro or solar power.

Let us plan our cities according to the available water resources and not avail water for too many homes that have been crammed into development. Saving energy reduces air pollution and greenhouse gases. The less we pollute our environment, the more we prevent global warming. Let us check the seas from rising and submerging our lands.

Increasing number of organisations are being formed to prevent the planet from premature extinction. More and more corporates have joined the race to save the planet. We can simply begin by buying recycled products for our office, home or school. The greater the demand for recycled products, the more these companies will be encouraged to add recycled material to their products.

We can also make simple changes, like using reusable bags and containers. We should try and conserve electricity by turning off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when not in use. Use cold water in the washer whenever possible.

Every single thing that we do now to protect the environment would benefit our future generations.

Writeup by

Anushya Ram