Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

School turns platinum fete into green event

FOR A CAUSE: Students of three schools participated in the cycle rally organised on Saturday as part of the platinum jubilee celebration of Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School.

CHENNAI: The tinny sound of a cycle bell is a treat to ear that is used to the harsher sounds of traffic in Chennai. So the pleasant ‘tringing’ of over a 100 bicycle bells early Saturday on an otherwise crowded Pondy Bazaar, T. Nagar, made for a happy distraction.

About 200 excited girls from three local schools took part in a cycle rally organised by the Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, on the occasion of its platinum jubilee celebrations this year, in association with the Coalition of Chennaites for Cycling (CCC) and the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations.

The children who came from Guntur Subbiah School, Corporation Girls School, T. Nagar, SIET, Teynampet, and the host school, Holy Angels, pedalled through streets of Chennai, campaigning for a clean and green environment.

Placards with slogans on pollution control, planting saplings and saving the environment were displayed on many cycles.

The rally was flagged off by Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M. Shakeel Akhter. He urged the students to take the event beyond mere tokenism and while having fun during the rally, also contribute in the long run towards a green environment. “Become a leader. Do not wait for people to tell you that we need to preserve our environment to secure the future. You promote the concept,” he said.

School principal Sr.Mary Zacharia said it was significant that the rally was being held as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations on Madras Day. She thanked ‘Americai’ Narayanan of CCC for initiating the rally. Mr. Narayanan urged the government to designate special lanes for cyclists wherever possible and practical.

Students took Anna Salai towards Cenotaph Road further towards Nandanam where they were greeted by Durga Stalin, wife of the Deputy Chief Minister, M.K.Stalin. On their way back, they worked through Alwarpet and back to the school where they started again.

They were accompanied by an ambulance, a live band (by the students) and escorted by traffic police and students from the YMCA College for Physical Education. Students with the best slogans were awarded prizes.

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