World Environment Day and Laudato Si Week at DBARDS

A very meaningful celebration of International World Environment Day 2022 was celebrated under the aegis of DBARDS in Beluru Panchayat, Mandya on 8 June 2022.  The events were organized in Beluru Government High School with the collaboration of the Headmaster and teachers.   The day began with a drawing competition for children with the theme ‘care and protection of earth, our common home’. Eighty Nine students from 17 schools within the panchayat limits participated in the competition

In the programme of the day that followed, 300 students from seven schools participated along with the school heads and teachers.  The guests of the day were Mrs. Chandrakantha, BEO of Mandya South Zone, Mrs. Jyothi S.C. Forest Officer, Social Forest Mandya and Mr. Shankara Gowda, Forest protection Officer, Mandya. Fr. John Peter, the Director of DBARDS was the main speaker of the day.  The programme came to a culmination with the distribution of 1700 tree saplings and the oath taking ceremony of the children formed as Eco Clubs under the leadership of a teacher and a farmer  for each club, to protect and care for the saplings that will be planted.  The final event was the planting of Saplings in the premises of Beluru High school.

Prior to the celebration of the World Environment Day, heeding to the call of Pope Francis, DBARDS had already celebrated the Laudato Si Week in Infant Jesus Parish, Mandya from 22 to 28 May with the theme ’Journeying and Listening Together’  The whole week was dedicated to driving home the clarion call of Pope Francis and its significance for us especially at this moment in history in Mandya. Care was taken to make the celebration more action oriented towards the care and protection of the environment.  We have also launched waste management, waste reduction and water conservation in our homes as our response to creating a more sustainable and safe world.  A kitchen garden in every home of the parish was rolled out during the week.  The high point of the celebration of Laudato Si Week was a Holy Eucharist on the theme which was concelebrated by Fr. John Peter, Fr. Julian and Fr. Joseph Pandavati. The Parish Council, the religious and parishioners are happy to take forward the celebration and have taken up responsibilities towards the ongoing yearlong programmes.