Bokaro, January 6, 2024: As part of the Move the Earth Initiative, The Jharkhand leg of the Cycle Yatra by SwitchON Foundation which commenced on January 4, 2024, from Jamshedpur reached Bokaro today. Under the initiative, efforts were made to highlight the various solutions that could be taken up towards equipping communities with key tools, resources, new age skills and creating a networked ecosystem for them to be the ambassadors of change.
A line of events and initiatives were organised in Bokaro. A millet food festival was organised in collaboration with Yuva Jagurity Kala Kendra in the Petrwar High school ground. This event aimed to further enhance millet consumption and production, fostering a revival of these ancient grains in our food systems. The Millet Food Mela witnessed the presence of various experts, government dignitaries, and farmers on a common platform. This was intended to bridge knowledge gaps in millet cultivation, create awareness among farmers, and provide comprehensive support, information, and capacity building to encourage the adoption of millet cultivation. Distinguished participants at the Millet Mela.
Mr Vinay Jaju, Co-Founder of SwitchON Foundation said “During the journey I am connecting with the farmers, women and youth of the areas to address the issues of sustainable agriculture, clean energy solutions and distributed renewable energy.” He further added, “The Millet Food Mela signifies our collective efforts to bring back millets to our food basket. By creating awareness and providing technical knowledge, we can support farmers in cultivating millets and promote their integration into our food systems.”
Another event that was conducted at the Panchayat level with the farmers of Dantu, Bokaro was an interaction with the farmers about solar pumps. A focussed group discussion on the benefits and impact of the solar pumps on the lives of farmers was conducted. The farmers shared their experiences of how their income has increased and also the easy operating system of the solar pumps have made their lives easier.
As the Yatra proceeded to Phusro, an interaction with the coal workers was also done to understand the impact of coal dust on the health of the workers. In collaboration with Mahila Kalyan Samiti, Shyogini, a stakeholder meet on Green steels was conducted in the town. The stakeholder meet was organised at Bokaro to amplify the message of urgency for greening the Steel Industry and to deliberate and discuss on the issue of carbon footprints pertaining to the steel sector. The meet was attended by the government officials, urban local bodies, NGO’s, academicians and steel industry representatives of SAIL at large. The meet focussed on engaging with citizens, particularly the people working in the steel industry, experts, policy makers for cleaner and greener steel usage. Dignitaries like RH Ojha, Deputy Chief Manager, Environment Division SAIL , DDC- Kirti Shree, SDO Chas- Om Prakash Gupta, BDO chas- Mithlesh Choudhary attended the meet.
- H. Ojha, Deputy Chief Manager, Environment Division, SAILexpressed, “I commend SwitchON Foundation’s endeavor to promote the transition to green steel. It is great to be a part of the change. I congratulate SwithON Foundation for organizing this event and my best wishes for the Move for Earth Initiative.”
Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Secretary, Samarpan Welfare Association social development said, “There is a dire need to shift the way we live our lives in a climate constrained environment. The Move for Earth initiative by SwitchON Foundation is an effort to promote that necessary shift.”
The cycle yatra, which started from Olihantu, Khunti will cover around 500 kms in Jharkhand passing through Ranchi, Ormanjhi, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Phusro, Dhanbad, Giridih, Madhupur, Deogarh, Jarmundi and culminating in Dumka on January 9, 2024.
The main motto of the ‘Move for Earth’ movement is to celebrate and inspire Climate Action with a purpose to build a smarter and brighter future for ourselves, our children, our farmers and life on earth. The whole movement would cover cycling over 4,000 km across different states in East India engaging Farmers, Youth, Government, Financiers, Technologists and Civil Society Organizations through its journey, and offer solutions to community-specific issues related to water, soil, energy and clean air, that are directly impacting the livelihood and health of citizens.
About SwitchON Foundation:
SwitchON Foundation, established in 2008, is a leading non-profit organisation focusing on Environment Sustainability and Equal Opportunities. Operating in 10 Indian states. It leads initiatives in Clean Energy Access, Sustainable Agriculture, Skilling, Clean Air and Sustainable Cities. Key strengths encompass innovative project implementation, capacity building, field support, awareness and advocacy.
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