The ‘staggering erosion’ along Puducherry’s coastline has caught the attention of the Union government.
Speaking at the inaugural of the CMS Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum, Maninder Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, said the “serious and unprecedented erosion” of Puducherry’s beaches has been noted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Ministry of Earth Sciences. He cited the Promenade Beach and Repos Beach in particular.
N. Bhaskara Rao, Chairman, CMS, said the festival would sensitise the public, especially students, to the urgency of environmental concerns. The theme of ‘biodiversity’ and ‘living in harmony’ with the environment would be highlighted.
“The idea is to use films as a forum. It is important that there is behavioural change at the individual, family and community level,” he said. Forest Minister T. Thiagarajan, said a clean and green Puducherry is within reach.
“Cleanliness of our neighbourhood is not the government’s responsibility alone. Every citizen must pitch in,” he said.
He lauded the film festival and spoke about the wide reach of the film medium in carrying a message. The ceremony was also attended by G. Kumar, Conservator of Forests, V. Candavelou, Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment, and officials from the Forest, Environment and Education Departments.
Three ‘green ambassadors’ from Puducherry were felicitated for their efforts towards addressing environmental concerns. S. Govindan, lecturer, Maraimalai Adigal Government Higher Secondary School, was appreciated for his sapling plantation drive among students. R. Rajamanickam, a Ph.D student from Pondicherry University, was lauded for his outreach work in wetlands conservation and initiative in implementing the Green School programme among students. C. Oviya, a student at Stansford International Higher Secondary School, was awarded for her work in highlighting environmental concerns through paintings.
There are quite a few events which the public can attend. This includes a film-making workshop on ‘Briefing and Shooting Session’ on October 8 and a panel discussion on ‘Climate Change and Human-Wildlife Interaction’ on October 9. Both events will be held at Pondicherry University. The public can also attend the film screening of ‘Platform No. 5’ by C. Vanaja Kumari at La Plancha restaurant of La Marina Guest House on October 9. The film explores the world of street children and the concepts of love, fear, respect and money through their eyes.
‘Timbaktu’, a film by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh will be screened at Artika Café Gallery on October 10. The film looks at what happens when a small village in Andhra Pradesh takes up organic farming, giving up years of chemical agriculture. The public can also participate in a Nature Trail which will take place at the Muliagam Forest Campus on Cuddalore Main Road on October 10, and Beach Cleaning and Slogan Writing Competition on October 11. The festival will conclude with a Green Run on October 12 from the French institute of Pondicherry to the Alliance Francaise. The complete schedule is available on the CMS Vatavaran website.
The festival will be held across 18 venues in Puducherry and Auroville, and organisers are expecting 5,000 people to participate. The Forests and Wildlife Department is the principal partner and the event is supported by the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Organising partners include Auroville and Puducherry-based PondyCAN, while Pondicherry University is the knowledge partner.
