CHENNAI: As darkness engulfed the Don Bosco auditorium at 11.00 am, beats from drums of student Sumanth rocked the audience for 11 minutes. These were the moments before the clock struck two 11s, November 11, 2011, taking the tally to five. The climax of the Five Eleven’s Lights Out campaign couldn’t have had a better start on Friday.An initiative of Youth ExNoRa International, the event, which was organised at Don Bosco Matriculation Hr Sec School in Egmore, saw participation of hundreds of students from various schools across the city. The students took an oath to save power and environment. To drive home the message of energy conservation and climate change, Exnora has been conducting ‘lights-out’ campaign every year. The 11-minute lights-off campaign this year is called Adapt 11.Following their previous campaigns conducted in 2008 (88888 lights out), 2009 (‘Save the Earth 99999 Lights out) and 2010 (5 tens campaign), Adapt 11 spread the word about global warming, and asked people to shut their lights out for the prescribed 11 minutes on November 11 to support the fight against global warming.“The drums are nothing but warning bells to preserve nature,” Jayanthi, member, State Human Rights Commission, said. Pointing out that urbanisation was taking place in areas with scant respect to nature, she observed that human beings were the largest polluters on earth. She called on the students to do gardening in their homes to make the city greener.In her speech, Nallammai Ramanathan, Executive Director, Abirami Theatres, advised students to take measures for energy conservation. “Children can switch off air-conditioners, fans and lights whenever it is not required at their residences. It would contribute in a big way to saving power,” she said. Earlier, Murari, advisor to president FICCI, appealed to youngsters to carry forward the torch of awareness to future generations. Film director Vasanth was also present at the event.
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