Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the alarming decline of sparrows across Indian cities during his 116th Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, emphasising the bird’s vanishing presence in urban landscapes.
“Many children today have only seen sparrows in pictures or videos,” Modi said, addressing the stark reality of urbanisation’s impact on these once-ubiquitous birds.
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Chennai’s Kudugal Trust emerged as a beacon of hope in this conservation effort. The organisation has successfully trained schoolchildren to construct wooden nesting boxes, resulting in 10,000 new sparrow homes over four years. Their initiative has shown promising results, with local sparrow populations showing significant recovery.
The Prime Minister also announced a major milestone in the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (One Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign, which has achieved the plantation of 100 crore trees within five months. The campaign has gained international recognition, with Guyana’s President Irfan Ali and his family participating in the initiative.
Notable achievements include Indore’s record of planting 12 lakh saplings in 24 hours and Jaisalmer’s women’s team planting 25,000 trees in just one hour. In Bihar, the Jeevika self-help group has set an ambitious target of planting 75 lakh fruit-bearing trees, combining environmental conservation with economic opportunity.
Modi also praised youth initiatives in waste management, highlighting Mumbai-based innovators Akshara and Prakriti, who transform textile waste into fashion accessories. Their work exemplifies the growing movement of “Kachre Se Kanchan” (turning waste into gold), advancing both sustainable living and entrepreneurship.
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The Prime Minister’s address emphasised the interconnected nature of environmental conservation, from protecting urban wildlife to large-scale afforestation efforts and sustainable waste management practices.
