Seventeen-year-old Kavya from Kerala’s Alappad’s used the help of technology and social media to raise awareness about the sand mining in her village – an effort that has now paid off with the National Green Tribunal cracking down on the activity.
The NGT asked for a report from the Kollam district administration after Kavya’s video, talking about fears of the village falling off the map due to extensive excavation and dredging by public-sector firms, caught the attention of social media and was featured in a report by The Indian Express.
“In the video, all I have done is express the pain of the people in my village. It’s not a political speech. In my own little way, I’m happy I could contribute to the cause and I’m glad that the public of Kerala are supporting us,” Kavya, a class 12 student, told the newspaper.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the district magistrate to submit the report within a month. The next hearing has been set for March 29.
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