Over 2,000 to relish rain walk' Saturday

KOZHIKODE: More than 2,000 students would experience the rhythm and feel of monsoon rains when they do the ‘rain walk’ in the Wayanad Ghats on Saturday. Started in 2014, the programme is being organized by the Vadakara educational district under the SAVE (Students Army for Vadakara Environment) project. The participants are from among 1.5 lakh students and 8,000 teachers from 630 schools in the district. The walk will begin in the morning from the top station at Valamthode in the Ghat section near Kuttiadi and will end at St Joseph’s High School ground, Poothampara, covering 7 kilometers.          

SAVE district coordinator Vadayakkandi Narayanan told DC that when the programme was launched in 2014, only around 1000 students participated in the rain-walk. Last year, around 1800 students participated.  “We had postponed the date to July last year as we had to search for the rain in June for two consecutive years”, he said.  This year schools can register the total number of students and teachers through ‘whatsapp’ on the number 9447262801.

The walk will start from Valamthode. It has been suggested to students to keep seeds in their hands to scatter in the jungle during the walk in a bid to strengthen the biodiversity. The dress, slogans, songs and food should be in tune with agrarian culture. Instead of walking in a line, each school can walk in small groups without creating trouble for the farming community, crops and to the environment. The best performing schools would be presented with awards and certificates.  “Those who want to get wet are free to enjoy the drizzle and those who want to use umbrellas and raincoats also are free,” Mr Narayanan said.