The Youth for Sustainability (YfS) Silicon Chapter collaborated with the Silicon Green Club (SGC) to organize ‘Aquaovation’, an awareness program, on 20 and 22 April 2024 to celebrate World Earth Day.
Earth Day is observed annually on 22 April. The celebration originated in 1970 as a pivotal environmental movement. Over the past fifty three years, Earth Day has instigated policy shifts and heightened environmental consciousness. Earth Day aims to educate people about conservation, create awareness about climate change, and foster volunteerism for the planet’s well-being.
The objective of ‘Aquaovation’ was to create awareness about the impending threat of water scarcity and prompt proactive measures to combat it.
The awareness program comprised of two competitions held on 20 April 2024 – an extempore competition titled ‘Off the Cuff’ and a painting competition titled ‘Splash the Colours’. Both these competitions challenged the participants to address the issue of water scarcity through their creativity and innovation.
A total of fifty students participated in these events to share their innovative insights on the water shortage crisis and the various ways to tackle it.
The winners and runners-up of the extempore competition were Kanhaiya Choudhury (CSE, 2027) and Biswajit Panda (CEN, 2025) respectively. In the painting competition, ‘Splash the Colours’, Biswaranjan Das (ECE, 2024) was the winner and Puja Mahato (EEE, 2026) was the runner-up.
‘Aquaovation’ featured an expert talk by Mr. Dharmananda Sundaray, Campaign Manager of Youth4Water Plus movement, on 22 April 2024. The Youth4Water Plus mobilizes the energy and passion of young people to enable them to act for Climate and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene). In his talk on ‘Water Crisis and Management,’ Dr. Sundaray highlighted the impacts of climate change on water availability and emphasized the importance of conservation efforts at both individual and societal levels. Additionally, he outlined the innovative technologies and policies aimed at mitigating water crises worldwide.
Dr. Saroj Kanta Misra, our Advisor, and Dr. Ramaprasad Panda, Dean of Student Affairs, addressed the attendees, sharing valuable insights on prudent water usage and the significance of raising awareness about water management. They also awarded prizes to the winners and runners-up of both competitions. Additionally, Mr. Jitendra Kumar Nayak, our Assistant Establishment Officer, was felicitated for his exemplary water-saving efforts.
