World Environment Day: Aahana Kumra says it’s high time that people stop cutting trees now
She won’t miss out her workout session at any cost. So, once done with it, actor Aahana S Kumra takes some time out and steps out on a sunny afternoon for a stroll with HT City at Delhi’s Lodhi Garden. On the occasion of World Environment Day, the actor tells us how she has always been the happiest being an “outdoor girl”. She explains, “I’m somebody who has always promoted maintaining parks and our surroundings. I make sure to push people to do sustainable things. It’s nice to go outdoors and be aware about what’s going on in the city. I don’t like to boast about owning luxury cars and roaming in them, it’s a privilege to walk around the nature.”
The actor, however, finds it upsetting that the city that she lives — Mumbai — doesn’t care much about its surroundings. “Sadly, the footpaths and parks have been destroyed. It’s not just the government, it’s the people also who don’t take as much care as they should. This is something that as citizens we should be held responsible for. The smaller cities in India are better maintained than a bigger city like Mumbai. I would like to see my city on foot, but unfortunately you can’t do that. The pollution, and the spoiled footpaths and roads, won’t let you,” expresses Kumra, who hails from Lucknow.
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Every year, World Environment Day is celebrated with a specific theme targeting the immediate problems at hand. This year’s theme is land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. Urging people to stay away from deforestation, Kumra asserts, “With the amount of trees we have cut in the last few years, especially from the agricultural land, things are just getting worse. We are getting so greedy as humans, it’s going to lead to desertification. It’s just going to ruin the land and there’s going to be a scarcity of water. We will leave nothing for our kids. Every week, municipal authorities give us circulation that there’s a scarcity of water and we should fill and keep water. It’s all human actions that’s adversely affecting our climate and environment. If this continues, we would be suffering majorly by 2050.”
In tune with this year’s Environment Day message — ‘Our land is our future, we must protect it’ — the actor hopes that everyone takes onus and acts responsibly. “You have to treat your land like your home. It is actually the future. What you do today, will come out for the next generation tomorrow. One has to be very particular about keeping the environment clean. Even if I see anyone spitting or loitering, I stand against it. My blood boils when people eat and throw wrappers on the streets. Flaura and Fauna can completely change if you keep doing such things. You have to ensure that everything is at least clean around now,” says Kumra.
Furthermore, the 39-year-old believes that one should use their stature as a public figure to raise awareness and influence more people towards environment conservation. “Instead of flaunting everything in their lives, stars should focus on promoting environment sustainability. If we don’t create awareness about how normalcy can be, how will people adapt. If we have that power of influence or impact, we should use it. I don’t think that if I am a celebrity, I should only be in my car, gym, or a film set. I try my best to be aware and spread awareness, especially through social media,” she concludes.
