Twenty eight-year-old civil engineer A. Kubendran and his friends have planted nearly 20,000 saplings in Madurai district since September 2013.
He launched ‘Paarvai,’ a foundation to create environmental awareness, along with seven of his friends last year to increase green cover in the district.
“We are planning to plant 50,000 more saplings in the coming year. We consider this as a responsibility and not a service,” says Mr. Kubendran, whose spare time is dedicated for the cause.
Like him, more youth in the district have initiated a host of social impact initiatives.
M. R. Boobalhan (25), an engineering graduate, quit his corporate job last year to take up organic farming.
“I was inspired by organic farming scientist Nammalvar to take up farming seriously. I stayed with him till a few months before his death and learned organic farming,” says Mr. Boobalhan.
Healthy eating and supplying healthy food to others gives him immense satisfaction.
He is a member of ‘Naanal Nanbargal Kuzhu,’ a city-based environmentalist organisation with 30 members.
The team of youth is all ready to harvest millets from their three-and-a-half acre farm at Aaviyoor on Tuesday.
“People have realised the importance of healthy eating. It is time to increase production of organic food to meet their demands,” Mr. Boobalhan says.
‘Naanal Nanbargal Kuzhu’ has visited 10 water channels in the district since last year and involved public in desliting the waterbodies.
“When we started with the Vandiyur tank we realised that there is a serious need to protect water resources,” says M. Tamildasan, a member.
The organisation wants to make Vandiyur tank a bird sanctuary and has undertaken a study on migratory birds.
R. Sivarajah, CEO and founder of Native Lead Foundation, says more youth are coming up with ideas for commercial ventures which will make social impact.
“College students who are committed to social service are motivated by experts in the foundation to come up with the concept of social enterprises,” he also says.
‘Rainstock,’ a water management system, devised by K. Sakthivel, a fresh graduate, with the help of Native Lead Foundation, has been funded by angel investors and is expected to take wings soon.
