Around 11,000 people participated in the 12th “Mazhayatra” organised by the Kerala Prakrithi Samrakshana Ekopana Samithi down the Thamarassery ghat road on Saturday.
The trek, flagged off by Kalpetta MLA C.K. Saseendran, witnessed participation by 10,842 students from 109 schools in Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram districts, besides environmentalists and the general public walking down the ghat road from Lakkidi to the 4th hairpin bend, enjoying the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Western Ghats. However, as in the previous years, the participants missed out on the rain, which would have been a welcome add-on experience.
In a motion presented on the occasion, the samithi demanded that the State government follow the regulations on building permits in ecologically fragile zones. The other motions called for a ban on flex boards and businesses on the ghat, which are the main reasons behind the plastic waste accumulation and pollution of water sources on the ghat, and ensuring that the natural streams remain unpolluted.
Awards were given to schools that had the maximum number of students participating in the Mazhayatra. Prizes were handed over to the winners of a quiz competition organised in connection with the event.
The Kainatti Padmaprabha public library team that cleans the ghat road every fortnight, the Churam Samrakshana Samithi, that offers help on the ghat round-the-clock and the Cheruvadi Development Forum that coordinates the cleaning activities were honoured on the occasion.
School teams conducted presentations on the environment, biodiversity, energy and cleanliness and used eco-friendly articles as props.
The Mazhayatra was recorded by Citizen TV to be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest gathering of students for environment.
The Mazhayatra was organised in association with the National Green Corps, school eco clubs and Darsanam Samskarika Vedi.
