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Children’s bid to save Sundarbans

KOLKATA: While representatives of the developed and developing nations engage in lengthy discussions on who should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and by how much ahead of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, thousands of school children from the Aila-hit Sundarban region will be making a fervent appeal to the world forum to save the world’s largest mangrove delta which faces an increased threat of submersion by rising water levels.

An initiative of the West Bengal Government and the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency, it is aimed at drawing the attention of the international community to the Sundarban islands that were battered by the deadly cyclone Aila in May this year, leaving behind a long trail of destruction as well as sinking human habitats.

According to S. P. Gon Chaudhury, MD, 10,000 students from various schools in the Sundarbans are likely to assemble in Kolkata on December 7, the opening day of the global summit in Copenhagen. Gathering before the iconic Victoria Memorial, the students will release a balloon each with “Save Sundarbans: Message to Copenhagen” scrawled on them along with a giant hot-air balloon with the same message on it.

Following this, a convention will be held for the students that will be presided over by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and a few State ministers, he said. “A resolution will be passed here and a charter of demands regarding saving the islands from sinking and preventing the humans as well as the Sundarbans’ wildlife from becoming climate refugees will be chalked out. It will be sent to the Copenhagen Summit through Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh,” Mr. Gon Chaudhury told The Hindu on Saturday.

He pointed out that a proper assessment of the islands’ future is very necessary at the moment and global attention and funding are an important pre-requisite.

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