Children from leading schools of Kolkata wrote and exhibited letters at an art exhibition and requested Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to promote “Cycling and Clean Air” in Kolkata. The exhibition was organized on the occasion of World Nature Conservation Day and was inaugurated by Mr. Manfred Auster, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kolkata (Calcutta) in the presence of school principals, teachers and children.
The event saw the participation of 10 reputed schools of Kolkata like Calcutta International School, Gokhale Memorial Girls School, Sri Sri Academy, Heritage School, Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan, Sushila Birla Girls School.
Worried about the current state of deteriorating air quality of Kolkata, school students at the event expressed their concern, as perceived by them. “Bicycles can change our world. There should be more of them on the roads,” says Maheka Mandal, Class 6, Shree Shikshayatan School. Pragyan Aditya, Kindergarten, Birla High School, Mukundpur said, “I live in a pollution-free green city I want to grow and live.”
Speaking at the event, Mr. Manfred Auster, Consul General, Kolkata said, “Cycling is a very solid and low cost solution. It is an alternative mode of transport and has already played an important role in Kolkata especially in the wake of COVID. The clock is ticking loud and clear. The numerous natural disasters occurring around the world prove the urgency of fighting the climate crisis. “
The exhibition was organized by Switchon Foundation at Press Club Kolkata, and the theme of the exhibition was Promoting cycling in Kolkata and other sustainable practices promoting clean air. Adding value to the ongoing public campaign on “#BringBackCycles on Kolkata streets”, the event garnered the support of hundreds of students. The exhibition was organized to display Handmade Postcards, Images, Letters made by children of renowned schools of Kolkata, all linked to the letter sent to Chief Minister, Smt. Mamata Banerjee, Shri Firhad Hakim – Minister in-charge, Transport Department . The Commissioner of Police, Kolkata Police, urges all the officers to think about safe cycling corridors and create a cycle and NMT incentive infrastructure in an effort to build a healthy, happy and sustainable mobility future for the city.
Vinay Jaju, Managing Director, SwitchOn Foundation said, “Children across Kolkata want to cycle for a clean and healthy future. We need to promote sustainable transport if we want to ensure a safe Kolkata for our children. If we keep adding more cars, our city will become unlivable due to pollution and overcrowding.”
Principals and teachers of various schools were also present on this occasion.. Ms Sunita Sen, Principal, The Ballygunj Siksha Sadan Said, “Nobel initiative like this should be encouraged positively especially by all the youth. To make life free from global warming which will encourage healthy and active life for all citizens of the world.
Mrs. Pratima Nayar, from Calcutta International School, “We must reduce the carbon footprint to maximize the benefits of the ecosystem,” he said.
SwitchOn Foundation conducted a quick survey with over 500 school and college students across Bengal and found that 82 per cent of the respondents believe that air pollution is a health hazard for them and 73 per cent of the respondents in Kolkata said that They will consider cycling in the school/college and adjoining areas if they are provided with separate cycle lanes.
In such a situation, Switchon Foundation on behalf of the students of various schools has sent a request to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal highlighting the status of safe cycle corridors and to build cycle and NMT lanes in the city.
Being the agents of change in the society, students can play a vital role in bringing about a positive change in the society, one such is advocating for clean air. As the future of Bengal, it is our responsibility to make a positive impact on our environment and make it sustainable. Let us all together make Kolkata and its surrounding areas the most livable city in the world.
From Principal:
- “Nobel initiative like this should be encouraged positively especially by all the youth. To make life free from global warming which will encourage healthy and active life for all citizens of the world. – Ms. Sunita Sen, Principal, BSS School
- “At Birla High School Mukundpur, we use every opportunity to make our students aware of their responsibility towards the environment. In fact, a video presentation was made by the students of class II on the occasion of World Bicycle Day falling on 3 June. I thank and congratulate Bengal-Can for organizing this exhibition. This will go a long way in ensuring that the future citizens of our country think of out-of-the-box solutions to make the environment safe. – Ms. Minnie Sengupta, Principal, Birla High School, Mukundapur
- “Reduce your carbon footprint to maximize the benefits of the ecosystem.“- Ms. Pratima Nayar, Principal, Calcutta International School
- Both me and my husband have been cycling for more than 5 years. Apart from health benefits, we understand our responsibility towards the environment. We ride for pleasure and also take short trips to buy groceries” Ms. Seema Sapru, Principal, The Heritage School
