TEDxKanke in association with SAIL, MTI organized on Sunday a half day event on the theme “Sustainable Planet” at SAIL, MTI auditorium.
The Chief Guest of the function was MTI Executive Director, Dr Kamakshi Raman who along with Curator of TEDxKanke, Rajeev Gupta and the speakers namely General Secretary, Yogoda Satsang, Ranchi Swami Ishwarananda Giri, IFS and CCF, Government of Jharkhand, Siddarth Tripathi, Padam Shri awardee, Mukund Nayak, Public Health Practitioner, Swati Bathwal, Cultivator and Author of ‘Dissolve the box’, Santosh Sharma, Executive Director, SAIL, CET, Jagdish Arora Environmental Engineer, JUSCO, Gauav Anand and Director (South Asia), ITDP Aswathy Dilip jointly lit the lamp inaugurating the event.
Dr Raman in her address quoted the Ishavasya Upanishad, which thousands of years ago had underscored the interdependencies of species for a congenial planet and human greed was the greatest factor in jeopardizing such interdependency. Swami Ishwarananda Giri informed that after the industrial revolution in the 19th Century, the environmental changes were irreversible, defeating the regenerative mechanisms of planet earth. Technological advancements after 1950 were making the restoration more difficult, he added. Siddarth Tripathi briefed the audience of his numerous village interventions in Jharkhand in which through innovative means transformations in the mindset of the rural folk was possible.
He added many such improved statistics in the beneficiary villages after interventions. Padam Shri, Mukand Nayak said that in the past there were smiling faces in villages despite scarcity of resources. “Certain collective practices of village Akhara, Sohrai, Karma and Sarhul delineated Worship of Nature and Cattle and playing of traditional tribal flute and Mandar were great stress busters. The strides of development have robbed the tribal of their uniqueness,” he added. Swati Bathwal informed the audience of how Plastic had entered our lives and along with Pesticides they are harming our environment.
Santosh Sharma deliberated on the 7 Hs of Hunger, Health, Hope, Happiness, Humanity, Hariyali and Healing Innovations. He stressed that in the coming day Gross Happiness Index (GHI) shall be as important as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country. Jagdish Arora elucidated that from the technology front all efforts are being made by scientists for coming up with environment friendly technologies like Green Steel Production in which Green Hydrogen made from renewable energy shall replace fossil fuels.
Though such technologies are not cost effective at present, so was Solar Technology at its advent, so there lies a hope in the future. Gaurav Anand said that today the pollution of rivers has reached its peak and if we protect the rivers, then only our future generation will be safe. Ashwathi Dilip said that to protect environment, we have to promote public transport and safe cycling.
