The theme for World Environment Day 2024 is ‘Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience,’ a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world.
Keeping in tune with this year’s theme, a re-wilding programme was undertaken by the Cantonment Board, Station Headquarters, Madras Regimental Centre, and other units of the Wellington Cantonment. Brigadier S. K. Yadav presided, and in in his address, stressed upon the importance of joint efforts across different sections of the society for the success of such ventures. In addition to the army establishment and the cantonment board, students of ‘Laidlaw Memorial School and College, volunteers of NGOs, Be My Buddy, You Can Edu, and Clean Coonoor, also participated.
The venue was a piece of wetland within the cantonment limits, recently rejuvenated through the joint efforts of the Army Establishment, Clean Coonoor and the Hinduja Foundation.
Appropriate native flora were planted along the banks of the waterbody, and it was heartening to note that native flora such as sedges were spontaneously taking over inside the wetland. It is hoped that with such followup efforts, the region will transform into a proper valley bog in the years to come, serving as a forerunner for further such efforts in other parts of the district.