A number of youths, spearheaded by environment groups – Fridays for Future India: Arunachal Pradesh (FFF-AP), Youth Mission for Clean River – AP (YMCR-AP) and Green Media, marched from Akashdeep to IG Park in Itanagar on March 19 to observe the Global Climate Strike day.

This year’s climate strike with the theme ‘No More Empty Promises’ is taking place across the globe to demand urgent action to tackle the climate crisis.

YMCR chairman SD Loda in his address called out the government for their failure to act on the depleting rivers, rampant earth-cutting, and deforestation. He urged the government to treat it with the level of urgency that government machinery displayed in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlighting the importance of the day, FFF-AP coordinator Onam Perme said: “Similar strikes are being held across the country and globe in an effort to create awareness around raise voices for climate justice. We need concrete and urgent action from the government, no more empty promises.”

Supplementing the statements, FFF-AP coordinator Prem Taba said that the fight for climate justice is a long-duration movement and that eco-worriers of the state are gearing up to combat the same. “It is so encouraging to see such amount of participation, mostly who are students and youths. Their attendance proves that the young generation is truly concerned about our environment,” he added.

Stressing that climate change crisis is a matter of life and death, he said: “Climate justice is not only mitigating the amount of CO2 levels we produce to prevent future damage, but also to provide adaptively measures for those places where it is already being felt and reparation for those affected.”

Arunachal environment groups observe Global Climate Strike

Climate activist and member FFF-AP Oyin Komboh said: “I strike so that the government take direct action regarding the mitigation and adaptation of the climate crisis, before it becomes the worst crisis in the history of humankind.”

As part of the event, a poetry competition on the theme ‘my pledge for future’ was also organized which was judged by poets Subi Taba and Ponung Ering Angu. The winners of the competition: Wanggo Socia, Tenzin Meinkee (runner-up) and Norbu Jamch Thongdok (second runner-up) were awarded plantable calendars, notepads, paper pens, and certificates.

A pledge to protect and preserve our environment was also administered on the day.

Students from Rajiv Gandhi University, NIT, NERIST, DNGC, DBC and others took part in the event.

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Prem Taba
About Prem Taba

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Prem Taba is a Research Scholar at Rajiv Gandhi University in Arunachal Pradesh