Before Durga Puja, Children Raise Their Voices to Protect the Atrai River

Senior Correspondent.TOD.Balurghat 

As Durga Puja festivities began on the eve of Chaturthi, a group of children and young people took a different kind of initiative at Sadarghat on the Atrai River, unveiling an environmental awareness poster highlighting the need to protect the river during the festival.The poster, prepared by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) with the support of Dishari Sankalpa, an environment-focused organisation based in Balurghat, was unveiled by children and adolescents on Tuesday afternoon. 

Through the initiative, they sought to draw attention to the environmental consequences of idol immersion and the importance of keeping the river clean.The poster highlights how chemicals and other materials used in idols can contaminate river water, harm fish and aquatic biodiversity, and disrupt the river's ecosystem. It also emphasises the potential impact of river pollution on communities living along its banks, whose lives and livelihoods depend on the river's health.

The campaign calls on Puja organisers, local clubs and students to play an active role in protecting the Atrai. It urges people to avoid plastic and non-biodegradable materials that can damage the river's ecosystem.“Through this poster, we have highlighted what needs to be done to keep the Atrai clean during the Puja festivities,” said Ritwika Mondal, a college student who participated in the initiative. She added that the campaign appeals to clubs, Puja organisers and students to take responsibility for protecting the river.

Members of Dishari Sankalpa said the organisation had been advocating for the protection of the Atrai during Durga Puja for the past 20 years.The WWF poster was received through Sangeeta Maitra, state director of WWF's West Bengal State Office. The organisation's members plan to distribute copies of the poster to local clubs and Puja organisers to spread awareness throughout the festive season.

Dishari Sankalpa secretary Tuhinshubhra Mondal, along with members Suhrid Das, Sanatan Pramanik, Uttam Munshi and Arundhuti Sarbadhikari Sarkar, attended the programme.The campaign carries a simple message: Durga Puja celebrations should honour the river as a mother, recognising that the well-being of the Atrai is closely tied to the well-being of the people who depend on it.