Assam: Hargila Army spreads Green Diwali message

GUWAHATI: Famous women-led conservation group The Hargila Army, in collaboration with the country’s premier biodiversity conservation organisation, Aaranyak, organized a series of outreach events on the eve of Diwali in order to raise awareness about the importance of celebrating Green Diwali for the well-being of the environment as well as human beings, with the theme ‘Safe Diwali, Safe Nest, Happy Hatching’.

Around 140 children have learned about the importance of celebrating eco-friendly Diwali and what it means to the environment and the well-being of human beings by participating in the events during November 2, 4, and 6, when there was also an art contest based on the theme of Green Diwali. This noble initiative was coordinated by Pratima Rajbongshi from the Hargila Army and Karishma Das from Aaranyak’s Greater Adjutant Conservation Programme team, under the leadership of UN Champion of the Earth and a wildlife biologist in Aaranyak, Dr. Purnima Devi Barman. A youth team comprising Manab Das, Dipankar Das, and Barasha Das helps organise the events. “Every year, we create awareness about green Diwali through such events on the eve of Diwali so that nesting birds in the Greater Adjutant Storks’ residential colonies in Kamrup district of Assam aren’t disturbed.

There is a need for us to adopt an eco-friendly Diwali this year as well, and we should teach our children that not only human beings but other creatures as well, such as birds and other flora and fauna, do live on our planet,” said Dr. Purnima Devi. Kamrup district’s Dadara, Pachariya, and Singimari areas have important nesting colonies of the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos dubius), which plays a vital part in wetland ecosystems.

Over the years, the Hargila Army and Greater Adjutant Conservation Programme team in Aaranyak, headed by Dr. Barman, have made a great deal of progress in the conservation of this species along with the protection of its nests. In another effort to reach out to as many students as possible, another outreach programme promoting Green Diwali was organised in the Hargila Learning and Conservation Centre of Pachariya Kushal Konwar High School on November 10 in the form of a poster-making contest. An overwhelming number of students participated in the event. “Bursting crackers harms the environment, causing air and noise pollution.

Wildlife, including birds, suffer from stress, respiratory issues, and disorientation, disrupting their natural habitats and behaviors. This also adversely affects human health, respiratory systems, and overall well-being,” stated a press release.

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