By J.Hari Shankar
Prakruthi, a 44-year-old renowned environmental awareness institution, launched a significant campaign with SPARK, a popular civic organisation, on June 8, followed by an interactive coastal awareness on June 9 at Injambakkam Beach.
The campaign was aimed at finding solutions for safeguarding the coastal system that affects both ECR and OMR. The launch coincided with World Oceans Day on June 8 and World Environment Day on June 5.
The symposium had a brainstorming session with Dr Deepak Samuel – Scientist from the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Dr Shekar Raghavan – Director of Rain Centre, Prof. Anuradha Menon of MEASI, and was chaired by Dr T.D.Babu, Founder of SPARK and Knowledge Proliferator of Prakruthi.
“Familiarity with the concerns nagging the settlers in the catchment areas and flood plains of OMR is our focus as we observe environment and oceans days, with coastal restoration and thoughts on mitigating floods. We brought onto one stage, an audience of knowledge seekers, people who determine Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) and scheme out Blue Flag Beaches, who have insight into the problems of floods and droughts and who can influence town planners to look into habitat management, while planning the expansion of Chennai, alongside reserve forests and innumerable lakes and streams,” introduced Dipankar Ghose, Founder and lead mentor of Prakruthi.
The resultant campaign from the two-day event was launched by Kamakshi Subramaniyan, the nonagenarian Co-founder of SPARK, and octogenarian Dr. Giri Rengaswamy – Dean (CSR) of Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology (AVIT), Paiyanur.
Concerns that echoed throughout the two days were the detrimental impact of skyscrapers on the coast and water bodies, vulnerabilities of Blue Flag Beaches and the perilous state of aquifers and groundwater levels, making it more important to consider existing natural habitats in town planning. “The inherent risks posed by high-rise developments in flood-prone areas such as the ECR and OMR underscore the urgent need for rainwater harvesting to mitigate these challenges,” said Dr Shekar Raghavan, who further stressed, “Urbanisation, characterised by the proliferation of concrete structures, is a key factor in the strangulation of aquifers and the creation of artificial drought conditions as there is no space for the water to flow through from the surface.”
Continuing the dialogue on June 9, T.D. Babu and A. Srinivas of Prakruthi, orchestrated an interactive session with nature, ‘Time to Ponder’, at Injambakkam beach. Students of AVIT, professors from AM Jain College and residents from Besant Nagar to Akkarai participated. Together, they explored the current conditions of the coastal environment, and tried to understand the different types of beach creepers that contain medicinal properties and serve as indicators of coastal health.
“The proliferation of sand dunes, shifts in soil texture due to concrete encroachment, and sewage management issues are critical factors threatening coastal ecosystems and marine life,” warned Babu during his passionate discourse. Babu cautioned against ill-conceived governmental beach transformation projects like the construction of cycle tracks or pavement on the shore for the urbanisation of beaches. He cited their detrimental impact on coastal ecosystems and marine life, like turtles. “The turtles and the hatchlings confuse the artificial light with the moon and get lost. Instead of returning to the sea, they come landwards attracted by the light. Being out on land for long can cause severe dehydration in the reptiles and harm them,” explained Babu.
The program’s main motto was ‘Sensitise, Rationalise, Actualise’, capturing the need for informed decisions and forming good attitude. “We must leverage our influence in requesting policymakers in the quest for environmental stewardship. Together, we can make a difference in safeguarding our coastal regions for future generations,” urged Sona Prakash – Community Social Responsibility Influencer.
As the curtains were drawn on this remarkable initiative, a sense of optimism prevailed, buoyed by the collective commitment to a brighter environmental future. In the heart of Prakruthi’s resolute endeavour lies the promise of a greener tomorrow, inspiring hope and action among all who share in the vision of coastal preservation.
