Periyakulam desilting. Greening drives. Cleaning campaigns. Anti-plastic movements… The city has always rooted for any activity related to the environment. What drives Coimbatore’s activism?
One of the reasons, say activists, is that old-timers still remember the city as it once was — when monsoons arrived on time, the air was pollution free, Siruvani water was available to all, and people enjoyed its famous weather through the year. They are deeply unhappy about what it has turned into and want to conserve available resources for the future.
R. Mohammed Saleem of Environment Conservation Group draws attention to the city’s proximity to Nature — it has three tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in Mudumalai, Anaimalai and Sathyamangalam. It has an active culture of Nature Clubs in schools. “We have eight wetlands within the city and untreated sewage water is let into most water bodies. Every individual should try and reduce the negative impact on the environment,” he says.
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Agrees R. Raveendran of RAAC. He says the city has about 30 groups working for the environment. “Participation in public movements has seen a drastic increase in the past two to three years,” he adds. These include student groups working out of villages; they raise the saplings planted by NGOs.
M. Yoganathan, a bus conductor who has been a conservationist for 28 years, says the attitude of teachers and students is positive. “Unlike other cities, civil society in Coimbatore is deeply passionate about environment conservation.” He conducts awareness camps in schools, colleges and IT companies and for SHGs.
“Compared to any other city in Tamil Nadu, the level of awareness is much higher in Coimbatore,” says K. Kalidas of Osai. This, he adds, is because of constant sensitisation drives by NGOs, from 2000. For instance, illegal selling of munias, parakeets and doves is not possible in the city; so is illegal felling of trees. People have learnt to question. They have also learnt to see man-animal conflicts in the right perspective.
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K. Mylswami, project coordinator, Siruthuli says that change has steeped into the city’s consciousness. “Earlier, we had to request people to plant saplings. Now, they approach us on their own. Not just individuals, even Government agencies are coming forward to be part of green exercises.” Such movements, he says, bring together citizens of a city.
Though there have been many initiatives to increase tree cover and clean water bodies, awareness is not proportionate to the everyday environmental deterioration, regrets R. Karpagam of Oli Awareness Movement.
This year, the theme for World Environment Day is to raise your voice not the sea level. So, armchair protests won’t do; every individual has to hit the streets and make his/her voice heard, concludes Saleem.
DO YOUR BIT
Plant fruit-bearing trees at home; they attract birds
Construct and maintain Rain Water Harvesting structures
bring down usage of plastic bags; use cloth bags instead
Use electricity judiciously
Segregate waste at source