PM responds to Malali government high school students’ letter

Team Udayavani, Jul 11, 2018, 3:33 PM IST

Kaikamba: The PM Narendra Modi has responded to a letter addressed to him by students of Malali government high school regarding scarcity of water, deforestation and environment pollution.

On behalf of the students, Chaitra had written the letter while Ganesh had drawn a picture depicting the environment and collected the students’ signature on it.

What’s in the letter?

In the letter which is written in Kannada, the students address Modi as ‘Ajja’ (grandpa) and write about the danger of deforestation, scarcity of water and environment pollution in the backdrop of the country becoming an industrial nation.

The scarcity of water and environmental pollution has resulted in a black spot for the country. The summer heat cannot be endured. When observing all this, fear creeps up on how the future might be? You are striving to lead the country into development. But, due to industrialization, the forest gets destroyed. We are not coming forward to grow forests. Due to this, should our grandchildren not see the dream of the future? We believe that you will listen to the weeping of children like us and therefore we have mentioned in the letter on what can be done for the conservation of the environment and on what steps the students have taken.

At the end of the letter, even before urbanization and industrialization, we have begged for clean water and clean environment. We have attached with the letter the information on the actions taken by 130 students in the school for the conservation of water. Fulfill our faith. We are ending the letter with the wait for a new India which is clean, beautiful, strong and free from scarcity of water.

What are the actions?

• To prevent scarcity of water, 250 water percolation pits in 2016-17 and 250 pits in 2018 have been created and the water conservation programme has been running since 3 years.
• Information on our plans through science and drama competition.
• Creation of Nature Guard Svayam Seva Dal, joining those interested and provision of honorarium.
• Encouragement is required for the creation of water percolation pits.
• Establish re-afforestation for forestation.
• Organizing water conservation programme and release of its manuscript.

Environmental awareness should begin with children

“Environmental awareness should begin with children and with this aim, we are providing them encouragement. The children have been creating a water percolation pit for two years which is now 2.5 feet long, 1.5 feet wide and 1.5 deep. On Saturdays, we bring together the parents of the children in their respective villages and create water percolation pits through different groups. We upload the pictures on a Whatsapp group called ‘Jala Saksharata Andolana’. This group includes Sri Padre, individuals who do environment awareness work and the regional education officer,” wrote Padmashree, a teacher.

I didn’t expect a quick response

“I had never thought Narendra Modi would reply so quickly to the children’s letter. Within 30 days of the children writing the letter, the response came. The letter is the proof that the children’s work has attracted Narendra Modi. There is hope that he will fulfil the children’s expectation,” said headmaster Sripathi.