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We Celebrated World Environment Day with much fanfare recently on of June 5. We had assembled at Ambazari garden at 6 in the morning with a few other people, who had arranged a talk on prevention of plastic use, how to dispose of plastic bottles and wrappers and how to manage e-waste, which has become a menace of gargantuan proportions. A few years ago, I was the president of an organisation. In order to bring about some awareness about environment change, we organised a poster and slogan competition for school children. I was astonished to discover that children knew much more than I had expected and the posters made by them were quite thoughtful, self-explanatory and artistic so much so that the judges had a tough time choosing the winner. We had also planned to plant trees to commemorate the day and so reached the ground where tree plantation was proposed very early in the morning to avoid harsh Sun rays. To my utter dismay, it was a ground devoid of any vegetation and the helpers who would do the ground work of digging the soil had not arrived. We had no other choice but to wait for them patiently. In the meanwhile, the Sun had turned on its fury and we ran for cover and the clock showed it was just 7 am. There was a sole neem tree nearby not yet fully grown but still providing shade to the passers-by to its utmost capacity. The entire episode made me realize how we had taken nature for granted all these years. I found myself surrounded by tall concrete structures, human dwellings where the air-conditioners and coolers were still running and contributing to climate change. We did plant around 50 saplings and the contractor promised to look after them until rains would take over and nurture them but I was very apprehensive whether these tiny plants would survive the adverse weather conditions and my fears were confirmed as only a few of them could keep afloat despite watering them regularly. I realised that the hot winds, which once upon a time had to be endured in the month of May and only during afternoons, have become a norm for the entire summer season be it day or night. There is no respite even in the middle of night. Gone are the days when we would sleep on the terrace under the starry sky and count the stars. We sometimes needed a blanket late at night as temperatures dropped. Travel has become faster and safer at the cost of concrete laden flyovers. Carbon emissions and greenhouse gases have risen to alarming proportions. We have become accustomed to travelling faster in air-conditioned cars and walking and cycling for menial tasks has become a thing of the past. As Greta Thunberg puts it, I don't want you to be hopeful, I want you to panic as if your house is on fire. It may not be too late yet. Let''s be part of the solution to pollution.