“Connecting People to Nature”

The 163-MW Athirappilly hydro-electric project was proposed in 1996 by the Kerala State Electricity Board, which was to include a dam of 23-meter height, with a storage capacity of 8.44MCM, on the Chalakkudy river in the Vazhachal Forest Division. it is proposed to come up in 136 hectares of which 104 hectares forest and tribal settlements will be submerged.

This project is now once again in the lime light, this is the time we people need to think   for 163MW electricity we are going to destroy our forest and  nature.

Deforestation can also be seen as removal of forests leading to several imbalances ecologically and environmentally.

1. Increase in Global Warming: Trees play a major role in controlling global warming. The trees utilize the green house gases, restoring the balance in the atmosphere. With constant deforestation the ratio of green house gases in the atmosphere has increased, adding to our global warming woes.

2. Soil Erosion: Also due to the shade of trees the soil remains moist. With the clearance of tree cover, the soil is directly exposed to the sun, making it dry.

3. Floods: When it rains, trees absorb and store large amount of water with the help of their roots. When they are cut down, the flow of water is disrupted and leads to floods in some areas and droughts in other. 

4. Wildlife Extinction: Due to massive felling down of trees, various species of animals are lost. They lose their habitat and forced to move to new location. Some of them are even pushed to extinction. Our world has lost so many species of plants and animals in last couple of decades.

"Without a healthy environment we cannot end poverty or build prosperity. We all have a role to play in protecting our only home: we can use less plastics, drive less, waste less food and teach each other to care." — Secretary-General, António Guterres