The 31st edition of the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award for Environmental Protection was held in Chennai, where two noteworthy initiatives were honored for their contributions to environmental protection. The award, instituted by the Rotary Club of Madras East, recognizes individuals, companies, or NGOs that have made significant contributions to enhancing environmental protection and awareness. This year’s recipients were Sahaja Samrudha, a people’s movement from Mysuru, and Veerappan, an Irular fisherman from Cuddalore.
Sahaja Samrudha was recognized for its efforts in preserving India’s traditional farming practices and conserving the rich biodiversity of indigenous crop varieties. N. Devakumar, representing Sahaja Samrudha, highlighted the organization’s work in conserving traditional paddy varieties and millets. Veerappan, on the other hand, was honored for his contributions to environmental protection, particularly in the field of crab and fish propagation. He explained how his team propagated mud crabs and now trains college students in crab and fish propagation.
The event was presided over by prominent figures, including Balaji Sreenivasan, President of the Rotary Club of Madras East, and C.K. Ranganathan, Chairman and Managing Director of CavinKare. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, emphasized the importance of protecting coastal areas, which are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. She also highlighted the foundation’s recent initiative to address plastic pollution, where local volunteers cleaned 100 beaches and collected over 30,000 kg of plastic waste.
The Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award is supported by CavinKare Pvt. Ltd. and is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions to environmental protection. The award ceremony was part of the M.S. Swaminathan 100th year celebration, which aimed to promote environmental awareness and protection. The event highlighted the importance of preserving traditional farming practices, conserving biodiversity, and protecting coastal areas from the impacts of climate change. By recognizing and honoring initiatives like Sahaja Samrudha and Veerappan’s work, the award aims to inspire others to take action in protecting the environment.