Complex environmental issues across the World

New Delhi, Nov 6: Complex environmental issues confronting people across the World like the pertinent issue of anti-Cola struggle, the impact of Global warming and the Genetically Modified Cotton and the paucity of clean drinking water were the subjects of focus at an environment film festival in the capital, which came to a close here last night.

Issues ranging from the declining population of migratory birds frequenting a sanctuary in Tamil Nadu to the rare cloud forests of Latin America to the impact of Global warming on the World's largest Mangrove forests of Sunderbans in the Bay of Bengal, organic farming in Thailand to the impact of Genetically modified Cotton in Andhra Pradesh to the anti-Cola agitation in Kerala figured in the various films and documentaries showcased at the 'Quotes from the Earth: making environment everybody's concern' festival at the India International Centre.

Organized by the Toxic Links in association with the India International center and supported by the Embassy of Switzerland and Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation in India and New Delhi, the three day festival, which got underway on November 3, closed with the screening of Satyajit Ray's 'Ganashatru' last night.

Inaugurated by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on November 3, the festival got underway with the screening of 'Point Calimere: A Little kingdom by the Coast' by noted conservationist filmmaker Shekar Dattatri, which deals with this Ramasar site, a designation given to wetlands of international significance.

It was the second edition of the 'Quotes from the Earth' film festival, the first having been held two years ago.

Said Mr Ravi Agarwal of the Toxic Links,''as an environmental group, we see films as a very important tool to involve people in issues and debates. In this sense, such a film festival is an opportunity to bring on a common platform voices of several individuals as well as communities striving for a clean and pollution-free environment.'' The films screened at the festival deal with the themes of 'Earth, Survival and Water'.

Featured in the segment 'Earth' were films like 'Point Calimere: A Little kingdom by the Coast' by noted conservationist filmmaker Shekar Dattatri, which deals with this Ramasar site, a designation given to wetlands of international significance and 'Green Agony' by Geeta Singh that was India's official entry for the Red Panda awards for this year.

Also featured in the segment was 'Orange Alert' from Thailand, which deals with the impact of pesticides on the environment, and 'turf Wars', which explores the contradictions that characterize the Government's policy towards conservation - wherein local livelihoods are expendable in the interests of bio-diversity, but bio-diversity must make way for national development.

The segment on 'Survival' captured struggles of communities and individuals for Environment equity. The segment featured films on themes like hazardous waste, genetic modification gone out of control and conflict between livelihood and environment.

Among the films featured in the segment, 'Life Goes on', by Suparna Gangal, documented what goes on in broad daylight when it comes to disposing hazardous medical waste. What comes across in this documentary is the fact that even the citizens of an upmarket urban locality in a progressive metro like Pune are totally oblivious to blatant negligence by a local hospital.

Another film 'Between the Devil and The Deep Sea' documented the troubles and travails of the traditional marine fisher folk from Andhra; to bring into focus, the relationship between environment and the survival of human beings as also their social well-being.

The final segment on 'Water' dealt with the vital life-giving resources that is becoming so scarce, causing political strife in many parts of the world.

Featured in the segment were 'The Lake of Despair', dealing with the alarming environmental degradation of lake and rivers in Kashmir; 'Thirsty Planet', dealing with the Global crisis of paucity of clean drinking water and the approaches to solve it around the world and '1000 Days and a Dream', documenting the over four years of anti-Coca Cola struggle in Kerala.

UNI