By Abir Chakraborty (Winner)
In the gentle rustle of leaves, the trickle of a mountain stream, and the distant rumble of thunderstorms, nature speaks. Yet for too long, we have ignored these whispers until they became shouts – a rising tide, a melting glacier, a scorched forest. Today, climate change is no longer a distant possibility; it is a present reality. In every corner of India, from the Sundarbans to the Himalayan slopes, from rain-scarce Rajasthani villages to flood-prone Kerala, people are already feeling nature’s anger. But the story is not only of tragedy; it is also one of hope. If we listen, speak, and act, we can still turn the tide. This is our invitation: to wake up, to reimagine, and to rebuild – so that when nature speaks, we answer.
High in the Himalayas, the world’s “third pole,” glaciers are retreating at alarming rates, threatening rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra that millions depend on for drinking water and farming. India has already warmed by over one degree Celsius; heatwaves grow longer and deadlier, and the monsoon – our lifeline – becomes unpredictable, swinging between floods and droughts. Cyclones lash our coasts with increasing ferocity, while landslides sweep away mountain roads and homes. Forests that once echoed with birds and insects fall silent, coral reefs bleach, and pollinators that protect our crops vanish. Behind these statistics are people: farmers losing harvests, fisherfolk facing uncertain seas, families displaced by floods, and
children gasping in cities thick with smoke and heat.
Yet, it is not too late. Every half a degree of warming prevented can save species, reduce disasters, and protect lives. Many think individual action is too small to matter, but the truth is
that collective change begins with single sparks. One rooftop with solar panels, one tree planted, one school compost pit – these multiply when shared and copied. Youth especially
have power. We are not just future citizens; we are present change-makers. Across the country, young voices are influencing policy, building awareness, and inventing solutions. When public demand grows loud, governments respond: India’s solar mission, its push for electric vehicles,
and global climate commitments are shaped by voices like ours.
In schools, the path begins with awareness and action. Students can run climate clubs, stage assemblies and plays, plant trees native to their region, and stop single-use plastics on campus. Rainwater harvesting tanks can collect thousands of litres each year, and simple steps like turning off unused fans and lights make a real difference. Over time, schools can install solar panels, create biodiversity gardens buzzing with butterflies and bees, encourage cycling or electric buses, and share what they learn with the local community. Each small victory builds a culture of responsibility and innovation.
I have seen this spirit in my own surroundings. In my city, summers have grown unbearably hot while sudden rain floods the lanes. Our school started a “green corridor” project, planting neem and banyan trees for shade and cleaner air. We built recharge pits in the playground and set up a ten-thousand-litre rainwater tank. Inside classrooms, we switched to LED lighting and began a competition for the “greenest” class each month. On Climate Day, we performed a street play
showing a farmer facing drought and a fisher losing his catch to rising seas. We felt the change ripple outward – parents discussed saving energy at home, nearby shops joined the no-plastic pledge, and other schools visited to learn from us.
Of course, the road is not easy. Solar panels and infrastructure upgrades cost money, but grants, alumni help, and corporate responsibility funds can make them affordable. People sometimes resist change out of habit, but storytelling, competitions, and small visible Successes can overcome apathy. Schools may lack technical knowledge, yet partnerships with NGOs, engineers, or local colleges can fill that gap. When young students show persistence, the larger system slowly follows.
Imagine India in 2050 if we continue: clean energy lighting homes, public transport gliding silently through green cities, farms resilient to droughts, forests alive with wildlife, and every
school a carbon-neutral campus. We could not just adapt but lead — exporting climate solutions, inspiring other nations, proving that development and sustainability can grow hand in hand.
Winning first prize would be exciting, but the true prize is safeguarding our Earth. Writing, acting, and leading for the planet is not a competition but a covenant with future generations. Our
essays can be more than words; they can be seeds of action. So let us begin now – to listen when nature speaks, to respond with courage and hope, and to write not just for victory, but for a living planet.
Lastly, I would like to instil this thought in my readers’ minds that we will answer this natural roar together by a few lines:
When forests weep and rivers cry,
We will not stand and just pass by.
With pens and hands and hearts awake,
A greener, kinder world we’ll make.
The dawn is ours, the choice is clear,
To heal the Earth we hold so dear.
Let hope take root, let courage rise,
Together we’ll win the greatest prize.
