World Sand Dunes Day (June 29, 2024)

On the occasion of World Sand Dunes Day (June 29, 2024), a training cum interaction workshop for Sand Dune Saviours Committee was held on behalf of Arulagam organisation at the multi-purpose hall near Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam memorial in Rameswaram island. About 80 people including panchayat leaders, social activists, representatives from voluntary organisations, fisherfolk,  and public participated in the event.

The President of the Thangachimadam Panchayath, Mrs. Queen Mary, said that although the project to protect the sand dunes should have been started 20 years ago, at least it has been initiated now. We will continue to support Arulagam in the conservation efforts. After the talk, Queen Mary handed over the awareness poster created by Arulagam on 'Protecting Sand Dunes' to Mr. Murugesan, the elected Ward Member. 

Thangachimadam panchayat Vice President Aminama, Councillor Thillai Pushpam, Education and health trust trustee Dr. Ilayaraja, Traditional Fishermen Union president Mr. Karunakaran presided over the program.

S. Bharathidasan, Secretary, Arulagam, said that the sand dune conservation project in Rameswaram Island was made possible with the participation of the people under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of TERI, New Delhi, under the guidance of the Central and State Governments and the District Administration. He also emphasised that the island region would be the first to face the adverse effects of rising sea levels. Because of the sand dunes in the island, the groundwater is freshwater that is available to people, so it is necessary to protect the sand dunes.



Thillai Pushpam,  Councillor, Rameswaram Municipality regretted that a town called Manal Medu (sand dune) was named after its many sand dunes, but today there are no sand dunes in that town. She recalled that as a child she used to play around many sand dunes, but they had been flattened due to ignorance of their importance.
Mr. Karunamurthy expressed concern that sand dunes are being exploited by sand miners, possibly with the connivance of some local authorities. Mr. Jebamalai, an advocate for sand dune protection, urged the Forest Department to prioritize planting native vegetation suited to the ecosystem, rather than non-native species like the Casuarina (Savukku) tree.

Dravida Kazhagam representative Mr Sigamani lamented the disappearance of sand dunes, recalling how Mulli plant seeds were once abundant there. He emphasized the need for village-level awareness programs on sand dune conservation. TRRM volunteer Mr. Stalin highlighted the importance of sand dunes for both livelihood improvement and clean water supply for the growing population, underlining the need for their protection 

Chinnathambi, organiser of the National Traditional Fishermen's Federation, said that during the 1964 and 68 storms, the presence of sand dunes in Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram enabled the public to protect themselves and avert a major disaster.

The arrangements for the event were made by Arulagam's field coordinator, Mr Karthi.  Mr Mohammad Shahid researcher spoke to the people about the Rameswaram Tiger Spider, which is unique to Rameswaram Island, and dispelled the common misconceptions about it.  Kevin Kumar, head of the Knowledge Centre of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, highlighted the gradual destruction of the sand dune ecosystem. 

Mr. Lenin from Kadalosai Radio gave a scientific explanation of the annual fishing ban and talked about the speciality of Rameswaram Island. Island protection committee leader Suganthi emphasised the role of women in protecting the sand dunes.

On behalf of Arulagam, coconut saplings were distributed to the participants of the event. Mr. Kevin Kumar, (MS Swaminathan Research Foundation), volunteers from the Island Conservation Committee, Mr. Sikandar, Mrs. Suganthi, Mr. Murugesan, Ron Selin from PAD (People's Action for Development), Yuvabharathi and Stalin from Tamil Nadu Rural Reconstruction Movement were the special guests at the event. Participants and guests took an oath to protect the sand dunes. 

After gathering feedback, Mr. Pon. Natarasan, Project Coordinator of Arulagam, moderated the event and said that Arulagam organization is going to grow coastal sand dune plants in an area of ​​50 hectares in Rameswaram Island and for this purpose, the nursery farm is located in Kundukal. Also added all the planning measures and the work will be carried out by three types of groups such as Sand Dunes Saviour Committee, Committees for Students and Youth respectively for Thangachimadam, Pamban and Rameswaram in the island was highlighted. 

The work to plant and maintain about 1,25,000 saplings in the nursery belonging to the Neithal landscape in collaboration with the local people was also highlighted.