Sculpture of dugong made on beach

RAMANATHAPURAM

To mark World Environment Day, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Thondi, Ramanathapuram, organised an awareness programme on Sunday.

A sand sculpture depicting a dugong, an endangered herbivorous marine mammal was built on the shores of Arichal Munai in Dhanushkodi by researchers, project assistants of the Climate Change through the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)-Dugong Recovery Programme of WII and student volunteers from Alagappa University, Karaikudi.

The sculpture of the dugong was surrounded by other marine fauna such as turtle, sea cucumber, starfish, crab and shrimp symbolising the co-existence among marine species and how saving an ‘umbrella species’ like the dugong would help conserve several more.

Volunteers from the fisher community of Dhanushkodi, over 80 staff of the Indian Coast Guard, and staff of the Coastal Security Group formed a human chain signifying the theme for 2022–‘Only One Earth’--as declared by United Nations with a hovercraft in the background around the sculpture.

District Collector Shankar Lal Kumawat, District Forest Officer and Wildlife Warden Jagdish Sudhakar Bakan, Commandant MD Shahnawaz, Station Commander and Commandant (JG) Akhil Yadav, Mandapam Station of Indian Coast Guard and others were present.