Puri Collector Sri Samarth Verma and MLA Jayanta Kumar Sarangi flag off Move for Earth movement

Puri:27/2/23: MLA Sri Jayanta Kumar Sarangi flagged off the Move for Earth movement, a Cycle Yatra across Odisha to celebrate and inspire Climate Action by SwitchON Foundation.

Today, in the face of a devastating climate crisis, Vinay Jaju, co-founder of SwitchON Foundation embarked on a cycle ride across India to celebrate and inspire climate action. SwitchON Foundation along with various partners will host a series of activities in cities, towns, and villages across different states of India to build resilience with future-friendly skills, technologies, and practices to mitigate the climate crisis our planet Earth faces.

The main motto of the ‘Move for Earth’ movement is to celebrate and inspire Climate Action with a purpose to build a smarter and brighter future for ourselves, our children, our farmers and life on earth. The whole movement would cover cycling over 3,000 km across different states in East India.

Thousands of children walked to Puri beach and witnessed the stunning sand art by the famed Sand Artist, Sri Sudam Pradhan, with a message on climate action. Odisha’s rising rap star, Rapper Dule Rocker aka Duleshwar Tandi also particupated in the event with a thematic song.

Pinaki Misra, MP of Puri, commented on this noble initiative, “Odisha is highly vulnerable to the climate crisis. I am very happy that SwitchON Foundation has undertaken this initiative. This is the most important issue and will certainly complement the current efforts of the state government to build awareness among farmers and youth and inspire them to take necessary actions”.

Present at the occasion was Sri Jayanta Kumar Sarangi, MLA of Puri and Sri Saroj kumar Swain, Puri Municipality Executive. Commenting about the initiative, Mr Vinay Jaju, co-founder of SwitchON Foundation said “During the cycle yatra we wish to connect with the farmers, women and youth of the areas to address the issues of clean air and sustainable mobility, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy. We also plan to host a series of activities in cities, towns and villages across different states of

India apart from West Bengal to build resilience with future friendly skills, technologies and practices to mitigate the climate crisis our planet Earth faces.”

Throughout this Cycle Yatra SwitchON and its partners have organized engaging and informative events for the participants. It will stop at key locations of the state namely Chandrabhaga, Konark, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Nimapada, Athagarh , Bhapur, Angul, Boinda, Sambalpur, Redhakhol, Larasara, Sonepur and culminate in Balangir on 4th March, 2023.

The ride headed to Konark where a farmers and youth training session was conducted on uses and benefits of solar pumps. As the pedal halted at Nimapara, a visit was made to the Organic Nursery Bed Development coupled with a Save the Earth workshop. Saplings were distributed among all at Nimapada Autonomous College.

Once the ride enters the capital city, Bhubaneshwar, a youth citizens’ jury will be conducted in partnership with Socratus Foundation. The cycle yatra will culminate in farmers Citizens’ Jury on the 4th of March at Balangir.  It will be a deliberation over by the jury of farmers from Odisha. They are aimed at covering some key aspects on climate issues concerning their lives viz. livelihood and employment, climate-led large scale impacts, policies and technology.

SwitchON Foundation is an award-winning not-for-profit entity, working across four major verticals – Clean Energy, Water, Climate Smart Agriculture, Skilling and Sustainable Cities.