When a group of students of Government Model Upper Primary School, Konchiravila, approached the University of Kerala’s Geology Department, asking about climate change, they were introduced to the strange phenomenon of groundwater flowing out to sea.
The students incorporated the concept in an eight-minute mini-documentary Inninte Thiricharivukal shot as part of the school’s academic master plan. A six-member team from the school — Mithun J.A., Asiya S.S., Sanika S., Sanish S., Abhish S., and Hemalatha — all students from Classes 5 to 7, had set out with camera and mobile phones to see for themselves the impact of climate change.
They found that water on the hills was running off to sea through 600 km of coastal belt. This water, found deep in aquifers, was going waste as run-off, as per a preliminary study by the Geology Department and the National Centre for Earth Science Studies here.
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The students also got to know that there was an almost a 3-degree increase in temperatures over a decade in the State. In 2008, the maximum temperature was 34.8° C. By 2016, it had increased to 37.8° C. Last year, it was 37.2° C, as per the India Meteorological Department here.
The impact
The students visited Veli, Shanghumughom, Vellayani, Vithura, Thenmala over three days this month to shoot how environment and people are affected by the razing of hillocks, filling of fields and wetlands, and drilling of borewells. Dry fields, polluted rivers, search for drinking water, all were caught on camera.
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Mithun said the plight of the people who were braving the harsh sun to fetch water moved them the most. “It drove home the message about water conservation.” Sanika said many students were concerned about the issue.
The mini-documentary has been uploaded on YouTube.