Global climate strikes are intended to create awareness among people about climate change, and to demand action on climate crisis on a global level.

These strikes take place in September and are led by students and many people in all the countries around the world.

Fridays For Future Andhra Pradesh(FFFAp) has participated in its first global climate strike in 2019. It has organized the strikes in which many students and people joined in the support of global climate strikes. FFFAP also conducts weekly regional climate strikes on every Friday. It has successfully completed 42 weeks of regional climate strikes, reaching and delivering its message to as many people as it can.

It's been a year creating awareness in people of Andhra Pradesh about the climate crisis. FFFAP has organized many campaigns like Art for future, Creativity for Future, Right for Future, etc., and took many effective steps towards creating awareness in people of AP about Climate change and it affects their lives.

A lot of environmental concerns of Andhra Pradesh made us rise up and raise our voices. Here are a few of the concerns:

1.Srikakulam Pharmaceutical company spoiling the groundwater

Pharmaceutical companies in srikakulam are spoiling the ground water with their untreated emissions. Groundwater pollution will lead to serious problems in the local communities. FFFAP is trying to highlight the damage caused by these pharmaceutical companies to the groundwater

2.Srikakulam & Vijayanagaram illegal River and Oceanic sand mining and mangrove destruction

As sand mining will cause many serious problems like encroachment,flooding etc.,excessive sand mining will be a great threat to the people along river banks. FFFAp is supporting the local communities in fighting against illegal sand mining and mangrove destruction.

3. Visakhapatnam encroaching coast by various pharmaceutical companies and polluting the sea with arsenals and poisonous chemicals

By constructing heavy structures,sand erosion takes place which cannot be reclaimed in future as well. Places like R.K.beach, Bheemili beach are undergoing this type of erosion.Pharmaceutical companies are repeatedly polluting the sea is a severe problem. FFFAp is highlighting the issue and is trying to bring awareness about the polluting pharmaceutical companies in visakhapatnam.

4.East Godavari sand mining in rivers with heavy machinery.

Illegal sand mining in the Godavari river is a serious problem, besides this problem mangrove destruction, encroaching wetlands and leasing portlands to companies which are violating the CRZ,CZMP and EIA norms is another major problem.FFFAp is fighting against the mangrove destruction in many ways. It is heading towards making the EIA and other rules to be followed strictly by the companies..

5. Destruction of mangroves approximately 2500 acres and encroaching them as hatcheries and shrimp farms

FFFAp has been fighting against destruction of mangroves through many campaigns. It has been creating awareness about the ongoing serious mangrove problem and is supporting the local communities in fighting against the destruction.

6. Destruction of mangroves in prakasam

Mangroves in Prakasam are destroyed for hatcheries and illegal mining of sand dunes across the coast. Deep sea port in vadalur is violating the norms of EIA and CRZ. FFFAp is fighting their way through to save the mangroves  and highlighting the port issues.

7. Mangroves destruction in machilipatnam

Mangroves in Machilipatnam are facing threats due to raising fishponds and hatcheries which is leading to the destruction of mangroves. Many of these fishponds and hatcheries are violating the EIA and ERZ norms. In places like.

This year all volunteers of FFFAp and people of AP will join in the ongoing global climate Strike. The strike will be held mainly in Vijayawada, Vizag, Nellore, Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh state. The Pandemic limited our participation in being active on an offline strike, but it never made us stop the strike anyway, so this year we are focused on online climate strike.

On an online strike, people can join in the digital conferences and plan actions and agendas towards tackling the climate crisis. Let's raise our voice, for our future!

(The views expressed in the article are the author’s own. Let Me Breathe neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)