Green groups hold forums, prepare charters to prod poll candidates to fight pollution

Chennai: Environmental issues, ranging from waste management to restoration of waterbodies, have come to the fore this election. Service organizations have been launching social media campaigns, holding forums and preparing charters to prod party candidates to take up these issues.The Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) has launched the Blue GreenClean campaign, inviting people to record short videos on environmental issues in their constituency. The videos, which will be posted on Instagram, will be collated for each constituency and submitted to the candidates.EFI volunteers said that for constituencies in the city, waste management and dust pollution were the top issues. "We also have a post-poll plan. We will collate the list of demands and give them to the MLAs on World Environment Day. We will then work with them to solve the issues," said Arun Krishnamoorthy, EFI founder.The Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG), in collaboration with Vyasai Thozhargal and youth collectives, has been sensitising youth to ecological concerns plaguing the city. The organisation has come out with a charter, following discussions at a two-day forum held last month, urging parties to keep tabs on water consumption by large industries, nix further industrial expansion in the Ennore-Manali region and cancel projects affecting farmland and arable areas."More than 200 youth participated in the forum. Parties contesting the elections should ensure that they don't bring in projects detrimental to the environment," said Afroz, a volunteer with CCAG.Coastal restoration and marine animal protection have found space in some charters. Spark Social Welfare Association has called for strict adherence to coastal zone regulation rules and shifting the Turtle Conservation Centre from Guindy National Park to the beachfront."The state highways department fells trees whenever road widening projects are taken up, and does not undertake replanting drives," said T D Babu, founder of the association.
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