Around one billion people across the world will switch their lights off between 8.30 and 9.30pm (IST) on Saturday, to participate in 60+ Earth Hour, a global movement to highlight climate change.
The event, which is in its fifth year in the city, has attracted a lot of participants from various educational institutes, residential colonies and hotels.
Close to 150 people have registered for the World Wildlife Fund-India’s candlelit rally at Matunga’s Don Bosco School on Saturday. The rally has been organised in collaboration with non-governmental organisation Greenline and Parle Agro Pvt. Ltd. WWF-India, the nodal agency for the event in the country, has ensured that several housing societies in Kandivli, Powai, Juhu, Bandra and Matunga also register for the event.
Shradddanand Mahilashram, an orphanage in Matunga, will switch off lights in the entire building except one room, where 180 girls from the orphanage will gather to hear their caretakers talk on conserving the city’s environment.
“This is the third year that we will be participating in Earth Hour,” said Madhavi Apte, honorary volunteer, Shraddhanand Mahilashram.
Housing societies in Kandivli and Powai will, like last year, lead the way during the event. In Powai, close to 60 buildings will plug off their electricity for an hour, while around 25 buildings will go dark at Kandivli’s Thakur complex.
The event has also drawn flak for being over dependent on symbolism, but environmentalists feel such events help the youth shape their ideas about nature conservation.
“It might be symbolic for some, but for many, these are baby steps towards a bigger role in conservation. Such events will bring about a change in their thinking towards the bigger picture of environmental degradation,” said Anand Pendharkar, president of Sprouts, a non-governmental organisation.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com
