The Centre for Science and Environment marked 25 years of India’s leading environment magazine, Down to Earth. This celebratory event also held more importance as CSE kick-started a unique initiative called Vrishti.
Vrishti stands for one of the many Hindi names for rains. It was designed as a one of a kind conversation between musicians, scientists along with others in the civil society with just one aim in mind, for understanding the most awaited, familiar yet complex phenomenon, the Monsoon season.
The four-month-long Monsoon season brings along with it a bit of excitement, hope and happiness in the form of rains. The Monsoon season has quite a direct impact on all our lives. Not only this, the Indian economy which is largely agrarian is also heavily dependent on the Monsoon rains.
As climate change is on its peak, it is becoming all the more difficult to understand and even predict the complex phenomenon, Monsoon’s next move. Through Vrishti, the CSE is trying to explore the many aspects of Monsoon along with rediscovering the Monsoon magic and unfolding the mysteries that it lies beneath.
The magazine Down to Earth has been analyzing as well as reporting issues related to the environment and weather related issues for the past twenty five years. The evening was a blend of discussions on important issues along with recital of folk music by musicians who aced at showcasing a performance on rains.
Vrishti kicked off by a discussion between M Rajeevan, the secretary of Union ministry of earth sciences, and Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The discussed the complex inter-linkages of the Indian monsoon with the Pacific, the Eurasian snow, the freshwater content in the Bay as well as the Tibetan plateau’s temperature.
The Manganiar community of musicians delighted the audience with some soul soothing folk music in relation to Monsoon rains.
Down to Earth also launched its latest e-book titled ‘An 8-million-year-old mysterious date with monsoons’ on the occasion. The book raises important questions as to how aware are we about the Indian Monsoon and its findings.
A photo exhibition was also unveiled with the name ‘Apatanis:The Monsoon People'. The Apatanis are a tribe residing in the Apatani plateau in Arunachal Pradesh. They follow highly efficient agricultural practices, and are well known for maintaining their traditions by oral recounting of their legendary and mythical beginnings.
Image Credit: ndtv.com
