The Kovai Kulangal Padhugappu Amaippu organised various programmes to celebrate World Earth Day here on Sunday.
R. Manikandan, organiser, said that volunteers first went to Vellalore Lake, where they had earlier planted more than 1,000 saplings, and removed the weeds from the area.
They distributed thulasi saplings to the public and also spoke of the significance of applying termite soil to the body.
“Applying sand on our bodies is deeply ingrained in our culture, including when we take a dip in a river. So to help people reconnect with the soil, we applied soil from termite mounds to our faces,” he said.
Udhagamandalam
A sapling planting drive was organised by the Monarch International College in Udhagamandalam.
In a press release, school principal Nalini Thimraj said that the event was organised with the assistance of the Forest Department and District Forest Officer (Nilgiris North Division), S. Kalanidhi.
Over 100 saplings were planted by the principal and members of the faculty, the release said.
Ms. Thimraj said that the planting of saplings would be done in four phases across the Nilgiris by students of the college to create awareness among the student community on issues such as global warming and deforestation, and its ill effects on the environment.
“This is also to encourage each student to plant a sapling on the campus and to take responsibility for it,” said Ms. Thimraj.
Also present at the event were officials of the Nilgiri Hotels and Restaurants Association.