Chennai: Expressing “sincere thanks to Isha Foundation for choosing Chennai Airport as the city stop for kickstarting this awareness campaign on Save Soil,” Shri. S.S. Raju, Deputy Director of Chennai Airport, called for educating the youth about ecological degradation “as they are slowly drifting towards being indifferent to such issues”.

Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, launched the global Movement to Save Soil from extinction last month in an urgent bid to reverse and halt further soil degradation. The awareness campaign about the Movement was held across India and Tamil Nadu today to mark Earth Day.

Wearing brightly coloured, hard-to-miss SaveSoil T-shirts, hundreds of volunteers gathered at Chennai Airport and thousands across Tamil Nadu this morning where they distributed leaflets and spoke about the threat of soil extinction and its horrific consequences for Humanity.

Urging citizens to support the Movement to Save Soil, Shri. Raju said, “when people turn (up) in large numbers like this, it will lead to ecological issues turning into government policies.”

Extending full support to the Movement and its efforts to wake up citizens globally to the potential threat of soil extinction, Shri. Raju said, “On this momentous occasion, Airports Authority of India reaffirms its commitment in extending support and shouldering the responsibility so that the efforts made by Isha Foundation and all such NGOs reach the masses.”

Renowned choreographer Kala Master and Shri. Balaji Murugadoss of Big Boss fame were the other special guests at the awareness event at Chennai Airport.

Kala Master also lent support to the Movement: “I am very happy to talk about soil conservation. Many of us who talk about the environment do not talk about soil. Sadhguru came up with this very necessary need. I am very happy to give my full support to this movement for our children and their future well-being.”

Shri. Balaji Murugadoss stated that he was always willing to support causes such as the Movement to Save Soil. “After coming out of Big Boss, I heard about the Save Soil Movement. Soil conservation is something that has never been talked about. Agriculture can only be done if the first 12 inches of topsoil is fertile. I am ready to support such good causes whenever I am invited.”

Volunteers participating in the awareness program explained the purpose behind the launch of the Movement to Save Soil: “Soil resources are declining rapidly not only in Tamil Nadu but globally. The UN says that soil must have at least 3 percent organic matter to be called soil. However, in soils in Tamil Nadu this amount is only 0.5 percent. Thus, not only is agriculture affected but the nutrients in the food we eat are depleted and the health of the people is greatly affected.”

It is estimated that nutrients obtained from one orange 100 years ago are available in 8 oranges today due to loss of soil nutrients. Studies in the United States show that nutrient value in food has decreased 80-90% in the last 100 years.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says the world can only farm for the next 60 years with the current soil resources. Scientists say the world’s population will increase to 930 crores by 2045, but food production will be 40 percent lower than it is now. To avert catastrophic food and water shortages, immediate policy-driven action is needed to save soil which can turn the situation around in the next 15 to 20 years.

In a bid to build global consensus for decisive action, Sadhguru has embarked on a 100-day 30,000 km lone motorcycle journey across Europe, Central Asia and Africa to urge nations around the world to formulate policies to save soil from extinction.

Starting his journey from London on March 21, Sadhguru has traveled through several countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. He has met with various political, social, business and cultural leaders besides celebrities and the media to raise awareness about soil extinction. Sadhguru has also held public events in several cities to rally the citizens of the world behind the Movement to Save Soil. Sadhguru’s journey will culminate in the Cauvery river basin in June this year.

The volunteers stated that they were holding the awareness event to demonstrate support for the Save Soil Movement which has received a phenomenal response internationally. “We also want to create awareness among the general public about this”, they said.

Other locations where events were held include: Assi Ghat of Varanasi, Sikandra Fort of Agra, Gateway of India and Marine Drive in Mumbai, Miramar Circle of Panaji in Goa, Ganga Ghat of Patna, Necklace Road of Hyderabad, Lal Bagh of Bengaluru and Chennai’s Railway Station and Airport.