CHENNAI: The prospect of humans becoming climate refugees looks likely with the rise in sea level that could cause cities to sink. City dwellers should try and understand such negative effects caused due to man-made problems such as pollution, said Sowmya Anbumani, wife of former Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss, on Thursday. She was addressing the students of Meenakshi College of Women at a sapling planting event as part of the World Environment Day.
“The United Nation’s message this year is to raise your voice and not the sea level,” she said. “We must work together to bring a change in our lifestyle, which till date has done nothing but damaged our environment,” she added.
The event, organised by Pasumai Thaayagam and Green City Lions Club, saw Soumya give away 100 teak saplings to students of the college. “It is the students who must take the initiative forward,” she said.
K Suganthi, a masters student of the college and a participant at the event, said planting saplings was one of the first steps towards achieving environmental balance. “It will help bring rain in cities which are the worst affected by environmental problems,” she said.
J Roshni, another student, said it was high time people took responsibility for their own mess. “First, we should clean up the garbage around our house and keep our immediate surroundings clean. If everybody did the same, we wouldn’t have to talk about an unsafe environment as much as we do now,” she said.