Schoolchildren from Sundarbans to be given tram experience for elevating consciousness towards international warming

As many as 50 schoolchildren from the Sundarbans will start their Durga Puja season with a particular tram experience in Kolkata on Sunday (September 21, 2025).

The concept is to convey the message to the general public that the tram, as public transport, was a powerful weapon towards international warming, one thing that was already harming the mangroves and would quickly influence even Kolkata.

“The well being of the Sundarbans and the way forward for its folks depend upon each mangrove roots and tram routes. Just because the mangroves face the specter of extinction, so does the Kolkata tram. This ceremonial journey on the auspicious event of Mahalaya is pushed by friendship and a shared dedication to survival and sustainability,” stated filmmaker Mahadeb Shi, co-founder of Tramjatra, a shifting tram carnival began in 1996 collectively by tram lovers from Melbourne and Kolkata, which is organising the occasion.

The youngsters are from Bijoynagar Adarsha Vidyamandir in Gosaba, who will share their tales in the course of the tram journey. The experience, beginning at 10.30 a.m., will start and finish on the Gariahat depot after a experience by Esplanade and Shyam Bazar. Attendees are prone to embrace filmmaker Goutam Ghosh and ‘mangrove man’ Umashankar Mondal.

This is the second occasion that Tramjatra is conducting this 12 months, despite the tram now nearly disappearing from Kolkata’s ecosystem. The one carried out in March, referred to as Sundarban Tramjatra, was additionally associated to creating consciousness about saving the mangroves. This one is named Sharadiya Tramjatra, or autumn tram experience.

“Back then, when our mates from Melbourne visited Kolkata for 2 weeks, many requested whether or not the tram would sooner or later journey to the Sundarbans. Today when the tram tracks are nearly erased from Kolkata, the thought of a tram journey into the mangroves stays a utopia. So, we selected to convey the kids of Sundarbans to Kolkata on a voyage of shared function,” Mr. Shi stated.

He added, “For this function, we have now employed a double-bogie tram, no. 256, which was embellished and used in the course of the Sundarban Tramjatra in March. We are grateful to the collaboration with our Melbourne mates and Sundarbans residents. Together, we rejoice not simply the tram however Mother Earth, pledging to protect her towards greenhouse gases, and to construct our dream of a clear, inexperienced, climate-safe future. This might be a really particular journey of heritage and hope.”

The Kolkata tram, greater than 150 years outdated, is nearly extinct, with the West Bengal authorities not hiding its dislike for this environment-friendly mode of transport, contemplating it an obstruction to site visitors, and subsequently taking no measure to maintain it alive. Only two routes, Esplanade-Gariahat and Esplanade-Shyam Bazar survive right now, and the way forward for the enduring tram now relies upon solely on the court docket.

“These youngsters have by no means seen or travelled within the tram. They in all probability don’t even know what the tram is. They might have on the most seen footage. We hope to create consciousness amongst them about the advantages of a system just like the tram, and that they return dwelling and inform their folks how electrical automobiles are good for the surroundings,” stated Indranil Banerjee, {an electrical} engineer with Indian Railways who additionally belongs to the Calcutta Tram Users’ Association, whose members may even be part of Sunday’s (September 21, 2025) occasion.