Sritej Padmanabhan’s algorithm can help diagnose Parkinson’s Disease
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(January 25, 2023) When Sritej Padmanabhan’s grandfather visited the family in the US, the teenager encountered, for the first time, the devastation caused by Parkinson’s disease. A year later, at the age of 13, the North Allegheny student created an algorithm that can analyse videos of hand tremors and provide an accurate measure of tremor frequency to help diagnose Parkinson’s disease, according to 3M. The teen innovator’s algorithm landed him a spot in the top 10 finalists of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2022.
Lack of access to quality healthcare
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder, which affects the nervous system and parts of the body controlled by nerves, causing uncontrollable movements and other symptoms that worsen with time. “Last year (2021) my grandpa was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and I saw first how severe hand tremors can affect a person’s ability to carry out daily tasks,” the young Global Indian explained. “After research, I’ve learned that even in the United States, access to a qualified neurologist is a challenge for the rural population.”
Sritej Padmanabhan
Although Sritej’s grandfather was not lacking medical care back home in India, where he made frequent trips to his neurologist, his symptoms went unmonitored during his two-month stay in the US. Eventually, he had to return to pay his doctor a visit. Sritej, who had known even as a child that he wanted to be in the medical field, either as a neurologist or neurosurgeon, decided to create a solution. He began his research, convinced that being able to measure and monitor hand tremors could play a pivotal role in enabling greater access to quality medical care, especially among rural and underserved populations.
The telehealth solution
“I had always wondered if there is a telehealth solution,” he said, in an interview, adding that misdiagnosis is common and that rural folk can’t always make the trip to see a doctor as often as is required.
Sritej Padmanabhan started out by analysing hand tremors using smartphones, videos and his computer. “I recorded 225 videos of simulated hand tremors from four family members,” he says. He used Python and open-source software libraries, analysed and stored the videos and framed hand models. One platform, he found, could use machine learning to track finger movements. Sritej’s algorithm uses the data from various platforms to calculate the frequency of the tremors. Users currently strap smartphones with devices called accelerometers to their wrists, which can measure vibration and movement.
Sritej with other students from North Allegheny school who participated in the Broadcom Masters
The 3M experience
In 2022, he decided to make an entry into the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, also motivated by the idea of being able to work with his mentor, a 3M scientist, over the summer.
The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is one of the most rigorous of its kind, with the top young talent competing for the $25,000 grand prize. “This year’s finalists and honourable mention recipients feature outstanding innovations from young scientists, who submitted a one-to-two-minute video communicating a solution to an everyday problem in their community and the science behind their solution,” according to 3M.
A Franklin Park resident, Sritej Padmanabhan is an avid participant in competitive robotics tournaments. He also enjoys chess and golf, saying, “Golfing involves an immense amount of focus and perseverance.” Taking time out of his busy schedule, he makes the time to do community service, volunteering at local soup kitchens and visiting senior centers.
(May 2, 2024) DTC brands, or direct-to-consumer brands, are on the rise. By cutting out the middleman and selling directly to customers online, they can offer unique products, build personal relationships, and control the customer journey. This booming market thrives on strong marketing strategies. A well-crafted plan, focused on building brand identity and utilizing data-driven digital channels, is crucial for DTC brands to stand out in a crowded space and convert interest into loyal customers. Shray Joshi, a first-generation Indian-American entrepreneur, exemplifies the drive and passion required to navigate the competitive world of wellness brands. Prior to founding Good Peeps in 2022, Shray honed his marketing and growth expertise at established companies like Health-Ade Kombucha, Cha Cha Matcha, and SIMULATE. This background, coupled with a personal journey to understand the connection between food and health, positions Shray perfectly to understand the unique needs of today's wellness brands. The Forbes 30 Under 30 is not only adept at building marketing strategies but also deeply committed to social responsibility, actively working to inspire and empower the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Growing up in San Diego, "the home of every single cool new product," the Global Indian recalls that "going to every
w.globalindian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian recalls that "going to every single grocery store and aisle shopping" was his personal form of therapy as a kid. At University in Boston, Shray Joshi wanted to study psychology and nutrition, driven by his own personal struggles with obesity. From there, he switched to biochemistry and nutrition. "I got to learn about what you're putting into your body and what it actually does to you," he said. "My research specifically focussed on learning how processed foods affect your body's microbiome and metabolism."
Finding purpose in wellness
He was also focussed on his own wellness journey, and found that simply living better, eating better and moving around can solve most health problems. His fitness journey worked out so well that he was soon helping friends as well, working with them one on one, although he didn't know where his education and experiences would lead him, from a career perspective. "I was just getting healthy and helping friends do the same." At the same time, like most science students, he was drinking a lot of coffee.
His first turning point came through a friend in college, who introduced him to matcha, back before everyone was talking about it. "I fell in love with it. One part of wellness is health, and eating right. The new part is reducing anxiety and improving mental health. Matcha helped me reduce coffee and I was wondering why all of America wasn't drinking this product." So, he applied to every matcha company he could find, and ended up getting a job at Cha Cha Matcha in NYC, where he worked on digital marketing. From there, he moved to Health-Ade Kombucha, where he became the head of Digital and Growth.
After a few years of working in-house, Shray Joshi decided to try something new. "I got a lot of good advice, including that I was too stubborn to work at a corporate," he laughs. He began doing consulting instead, and found that the brands he was working with were "overly complicating marketing from an internal perspective." As the consulting business grew, Shray made the leap into entrepreneurship, founding his own branding company, Good Peeps. "There are so many agencies trying to offer playbook sales tactics. On the other hand, we are like, we won't work on 600 brands. We will work on four or five brands at the same time and go really deep with them. We will build those really great brands and tell really great stories in unique ways." They work with fast growing brands in the CGP industry, like Feastables, Chamberlain Coffee and Fly by Jing. "We work with these brands to plan retail and online strategies," he said. "Given our background as a team, we do good work from a branding, content and creative perspective, as well as performance marketing."
Responding to a question about whether brands should focus on retail or digital, Shray says, "It's super category and product dependent. If you have a high consumption frequency, then you want to be in retail. You can use digital to scale and help you win in retail. Other clients need to crush it on digital and also get retail distribution to clog up leaky buckets."
A strong online content marketing strategy is crucial to building demand. "For one, it's a good way of showing retailers that they want to have you on board," Shray explains. "You can bulid a strong community, make really cool partnerships and build a group of hardcore loyalists online. You can use that following to walk into a store and say, 'I have a bunch of people begging for my product, so you are going to want to stock it'." Big stores, he says, take on clients with a Direct-to-Consumer presence and also those with a strong online presence.
Telling the right story
"If you have a really good story to tell, then tell it. If you don't, then don't force it," Shray believes. Brands driven by Asian Americans who found companies that connect with who they are have good stories, he says. "But if you're like, finance-backed and you saw white space in the market, that's where you lean on product focus and brand marketing, not your personal story." As a bottom line, he refers to Post Malone. "Make stuff you like. Other people will end up liking it too."
(March 29, 2022) Invoking good tidings is an inherent part of Indian culture. The oft-seen delicate rangoli motifs at entrances of homes add artistic ethos which sometimes lie forgotten. This native of Satoli, 12 km from Mukteshwar, saw this lack of regard for an indigenous artform called Aipan, and preserved it for future generations. Hemlata Kabdwal used to see her mother and elder sister delicately tracing Aipan, a ritualistic folk art of Uttarakhand. “Aipan is made at the entrance of every house on auspicious occasions, and festivals. Not content with the artform confined to just our region, I wanted to popularise it far and wide,” says Hemlata Kabdwal in an interview with Global Indian. Aipan is made by Kumaoni women at the entrance of their homes. The belief is that it invokes a divine power which brings about good fortune and deters evil akin to rangoli. [caption id="attachment_13674" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Hemlata Kabdwal, Aipan artist[/caption] Hemlata was listed in the Champion Book of World Records for creating the most aipan artifacts. The 22-year-old is also the recipient of the National Women Pride Award from Navbharat Rashtriya Gyanpeeth (2022), a charitable organisation. “Since we cannot showcase entrances of our homes and temples
Hemlata was listed in the Champion Book of World Records for creating the most aipan artifacts. The 22-year-old is also the recipient of the National Women Pride Award from Navbharat Rashtriya Gyanpeeth (2022), a charitable organisation.
“Since we cannot showcase entrances of our homes and temples to highlight the beauty of Aipan, I started experimenting on clothes, bags, diary covers, and key rings to share its beauty,” says the artform’s torchbearer.
Goodness on the way
The stars shone on Hemlata as owner Lokesh Lohani, Woodhouse Farm in Satoli, became captivated with her ideas. His space, a hub for tourists, was a perfect space for what he thought were Hemlata’s good intentions, to set up a gallery. Suddenly, the folk artiste was mesmerising tourists. Actor Manoj Bajpayee, playback singer, Maithili Thakur, and others visited Satoli, discovered Hemlata’s Aipan and were wonderstruck. “My work has a market in Delhi and Mumbai, and it has also reached former union minister, Prakash Javedkar who showered praise too,” smiles the artform torchbearer.
Social media played a big role too, and soon Aipan was being popularised on Facebook, Instagram, etc. Promoting it through training sessions on zoom, she has also conducted a free physical 10-day camp to teach the nuances of Aipan in her district - 70 eager participants joined in to learn. Revenue from orders via social media have been significant, and one particular month, she recalls clocking ₹64,000 too.
Family support played a big role
The class 12 science student slowly turned to a bachelor’s in fine arts despite her family’s initial unhappiness due to meagre career prospects. However, her agriculturist father (whom she lost four years ago) was the first to understand her inclination, and gradually her mother and three siblings followed. As her village didn’t have a college, Himani, as she is fondly called, moved 70 km away to Almora to study BFA. Now in her second-year master’s in fine arts, she says, “All young girls in my village are married off after 18. I am thankful to my family who gave significance to my education and also supported my career choice.” The artform torchbearer feels spreading the word about cultural ethos has more value than just earning money, “Money can come from other sources too, what is more important is to make the culture prosper.”
[caption id="attachment_13672" align="aligncenter" width="864"] Hemlata with her mother[/caption]
Aipan never takes a backseat
At Himani’s Almora college, she religiously devotes a couple of hours to Aipan. For her gallery at Satoli, her brothers pitch in during class, but soon, she ambles back to helm it. She never hesitates from spreading the word about her fine arts peers’ artworks to potential customers.
Good gestures have a special place
Hemlata beams recalling the first person who showed interest in her work while she was in school. The tourist even took her Aipan creations back. Chuffed at the idea of her craft getting its own identity across the country, Himani gave it free then. The next time the tourist visited, she was generously gifted colours and tools. Motivated, Aipan soon became her calling.
An online connect with Gattam Venkatesh, an artist from Vishakhapatnam who is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, led her to greener pastures. Venkatesh had approached her for an artwork for his studio, this chance association flourished into a mentorship - How to project oneself and publicise work. Her elder sister is a huge inspiration too.
Come what may…
Himani rues the fact that though her art is appreciated in Delhi and Mumbai, people in her own village take her achievements for granted. “The more they try to hush away my achievements, the more determined I become to take Aipan to greater heights,” chuckles Hemlata. Miffed that copies of her artworks are being sold by fly by night hawkers to tourists, the fact that she has been unable to copyright her art saddens her.
Of course, this also sullies her original work - her artwork priced at ₹8,000 was digitised and sold by a hawker at ₹1,800. “It’s easy to get my creations online, you just type ‘Hemlata,’ you’ll find me,” smiles the artform torchbearer.
Himani wants to do a PhD in fine arts, and dreams of becoming a lecturer. Her second love, animals, inspires her to set up animal rescue centres too. “I had an inclination towards performing in dramas but Aipan took over,” says the unapologetic folk artist.
(May 8, 2024) In India, career guidance often originates from sources like parents, friends, and teachers. Despite their good intentions, this advice tends to reflect their own preferences and experiences, sometimes neglecting the aspirations and qualities of the student. Chethana Dharavath, a student at The Hyderabad Public School, also faced this challenge when deciding on a stream after Class 10th. "My parents pushed for science but I was eager to explore more options. That's when I realised the disparity between student aspirations and parental or teacher preferences," she tells Global Indian. Although she ultimately chose science because of her own interest, she felt constrained by the limited freedom to shape her own future. The anger in her ignited a fire to take action, especially after she began tutoring her house help's daughter, who was uncertain about her path after Class 10. "She was good at writing and English, so I suggested to take up humanities but she resisted because her mother wanted her to pursue science. When I asked about her future plans with science, she drew a blank. That's when I realised the need for career counselling, especially for students in government schools who had no access to it,"
the need for career counselling, especially for students in government schools who had no access to it," says Chethana who started ConnectSpark in February 2024 to provide career guidance. Till now, she and her team have helped over 300 students across five states.
Lack of awareness
Interestingly, more than 90 percent students are familiar with only seven career paths, despite the existence of over 700 diverse career options. "It's plain lack of awareness and communication which often leads to higher dropout rates. In our schools, we get constant guidance from career counsellors who inform us about the various options available but there is no support system for students in government schools," says the 16-year-old Chethana, adding that for most students the only perceived options are medical or engineering. "We want them to consider more career options, and eventually make a choice that fits them best."
Such students are often unaware of the various career options available to them, leading to confusion about their future path. In most cases, they succumb to their parents' preferences due to this uncertainty. "Since they come from a humble background, financial limitation influences their career choice. Moreover, they want to take up a career that provides stability and at the same time doesn't put a strain on family's finances," says Chethana.
Reaching out to govt schools via NGOs
The idea that germinated from a discussion with her house help's daughter soon found resonance among other students from similar backgrounds. With the support of her aunt, a principal at a government school in Hyderabad, she began working on the idea of career counselling sessions for such students. In a short span, she reached out to her network of students across the country asking for their inputs, and found that the gap exists across the spectrum and the need to address it. "We found that the absence of career counselling sessions is common in many states, and the students often feel lost at the crossroads of their career." This pushed Chethana and her friend Venella to organise their first online career counselling session with Class 10 students of a government school in Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, with the help of a nonprofit Aarti Home.
Their debut proved to be a success as many students participated, discussing their career aspirations and expressing their fears and uncertainties. Chethana found that most were unaware of the options and the pathways available to them. "I was surprised to hear a girl's desire to become a teacher but she believed that sitting for medical entrance exams was the only way to lead to her career path. I realised the issue runs much deeper, and students were in urgent need of career counselling," says Chethana, who started reaching out to more schools through nonprofits. The subsequent interactions revolved around students' goals, aspirations and the various career options available through universities and entrance exams.
Expanding reach through teacher training
In no time, the queries starting pouring in large numbers from the five states where ConnectSpark operates - Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Assam and Maharashtra - which made it difficult for the team of eight members to individually facilitate sessions with students. Hence, they shifted their focus to training teachers in career counselling to keep the sessions running with the high volume of students. To develop an effective curriculum, Chethana sought assistance from her school counsellor and conducted extensive research before running the curriculum with one of the teachers at Aarti Home. "Instead of the traditional approach of creating modules and worksheets, we opted for a different method," Chethana explains, adding, "After providing teachers with a briefing, we give them two days to implement the process in their classrooms. Subsequently, we address each student's individual needs and challenges." The teenager, along with other career counsellors, has trained 12 teachers so far from five organisations, including Aasra Trust and Pehchaan The Street School. With the development of a website underway, Chethana is confident that the platform will speed up the process of connecting students with career counsellors.
A positive impact
Till now, ConnectSpark has already partnered with six nonprofits across seven states but it wasn't an easy journey for Chethana, for whom her age turned out to be her biggest barrier. "Being an 11th grader, people often doubted my capabilities because of my age and even encouraged me to solely focus on studies," says the teenager, who was determined to win the confidence of the organisations through perseverance and clarity. "I had to step up and learn to manage a team. There were moments of self-doubt and mistakes but each challenge was a valuable learning experience. On the way, I also found people who believed in my abilities and collaborated with us," says the girl, who is eyeing Ivy Leagues and especially Liberal Arts curriculum in the US as her future path.
Encouraging students to follow their dreams, Chethana advises them to avoid overthinking. "Focus on the process instead of the outcome, and the opportunities will naturally come to you," says the girl who now wants to expand her reach to more students nationwide through Connect Spark. "I want to create an impact with my work, and it's already happening," she signs off.
(May 26, 2023) With their indomitable spirit, and deep-rooted cultural values, the Telugu diaspora has not only achieved unprecedented success but has also become an inspiring symbol of the Indian diaspora’s triumph. Following the footsteps of elders, the youngsters of the diaspora have been making a remarkable mark in various fields, showcasing their talent and accomplishments to the world. From academia to sports, entrepreneurship to activism, the young achievers have proven that age is no barrier to making a significant impact. Global Indian looks at the young trailblazers who have defined the success inspiring not only their peers but also people from diverse backgrounds highlighting the potential and brilliance that lies within the Indian diaspora youth: GItanjali Rao Innovator In 2021 the then 15-year-old Indian-American innovator Gitanjali was named Times first ever ‘Kid of the Year’ for her work in technology to tackle issues ranging from cyber bullying to contaminated drinking water. The youngster is Forbes 30 Under 30, America’s Top Young scientist. She has more than a dozen innovations to her name. Her first prototype in use – Tethysdetects detects contamination in water and shares that information through Bluetooth. [caption id="attachment_30410" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Gitanjali Rao[/caption] “All of us can make a
In 2021 the then 15-year-old Indian-American innovator Gitanjali was named Times first ever ‘Kid of the Year’ for her work in technology to tackle issues ranging from cyber bullying to contaminated drinking water. The youngster is Forbes 30 Under 30,America’s Top Young scientist. She has more than a dozen innovations to her name. Her first prototype in use – Tethysdetects detects contamination in water and shares that information through Bluetooth.
“All of us can make a difference. It’s just about finding that one thing you want to change. I want to use science to inspire kindness,” Gitanjali said in an interview with Global Indian. The youngster’s father hails from Hyderabad. She is closely associated with the city due her grandparents whom she meets almost every year.
Apoorva Panidapu
Mathematician
Popularly referred to as the human calculator, the seventeen-year-old high-schooler of San Jose, California wears many hats. Apart from being a math genius, she is well-known for her abilities in STEAM – an educational approach that incorporates the arts into the more-familiar STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) model. The student, teacher, mathematician, artist, social entrepreneur, and a keynote speaker loves helping kids around the world and is a recipient of the Diana award. “I have helped raise more than $50,000 to support children around the world by using the gifts in math and art,” Apoorva toldGlobal Indian.
The prodigy has received several global awards in mathematics such as the prestigious Davidson Fellow Laureate, Steven S Strogatz Prize for Math Communication, Spirit of Ramanujan Fellowship, and 2020 Global Child Prodigy Award. She has also received six Presidential Volunteer Service Awards in the US between 2016 – 2022 for her social work initiatives. Apoorva’s parents hail from Andhra Pradesh. The engineers moved to the US more than 20 years ago.
Netra Venkatesh
Social entrepreneur
When the pandemic was at its peak, Indian-origin Dubai-based teen, Netra Venkatesh realised the potential of the webinars and how they connect the world. She was a student in grade IX then and wanted to harness the concept to connect people from far and wide. Soon she launched her social startup SpunkGo, an all-girls global organisation to make knowledge accessible in far-flung areas and managed to reach out to girls in 20 countries. “Even when the world has got back to its pre-pandemic way of functioning, the webinars are going to be staple as people have gotten habituated to impart and access knowledge through this medium. It is not going to die down,” Netra toldGlobal Indian.
The non-profit has partnered with Canada based Simbi Foundation. Under this partnership, members of SpunkGo global voluntary programme conduct book narration sessions for displaced children staying in Bidibidi and Palorinya refugee settlements in Uganda so that they can learn by listening. Netra’s organisation also supports the less fortunate in partnership with Shower’s Education Centre & Orphanage, Dandora Slum, Kenya, The Al Noor Centre, UAE, and Hope Foundation, Chennai. The youngster's parents hail from Andhra Pradesh and had moved to the Gulf before her birth.
Meghna Gaddam
Youth parliament member
New Zealand based Meghana is a member of the Youth Parliament, part of a novel method of functioning in the New Zealand government where youngsters get the opportunity to assist a minister. Citizens elect close to 120 MPs, each one of whom works in close association with a nominated Youth Parliament member. Meghana is assisting Waikato’s MP Tim van de Molen.
Nominated for the role in 2022, Meghana’s responsibilities include helping the MP deal with issues related to the youth and to act as their voice within the parliament. She has been working with the MP with a focus on shelter for people, especially in the wake of Covid-19 induced poverty and homelessness. Though born and brought up in New Zealand, the youth icon of the island country hasn’t forgotten her Indian roots. Visiting her native place, Tanguturu in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh with her parents has been an annual affair.
Sirihaasa Nallamothu
Researcher
After several weeks of research and studies, Illinois based Sirihaasa was able to make a breakthrough, winning the prestigious Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing, which empowers students to pursue computing challenges beyond the traditional classroom environment. Sirihaasa, who has also received a cash prize of $10,000 for her project, is the first person to undertake such a ground-breaking initiative.
Born to Telugu immigrants from Andhra Pradesh, the youngster has also founded Girls Who Code and Dream Coders clubs at her Middle school, teaching girls in grades 5-11 across the country Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Java. Fuelled by an unwavering passion for coding, she embarked on a transformative journey, not only as a dedicated instructor but as a visionary architect of a comprehensive coding curriculum that propelled her peers into the realm of technological prowess.
Key Takeaways:
Embracing multiculturalism: Diaspora kids often face challenges of navigating between multiple cultures and identities. They learn to thrive in different contexts and develop a unique set of skills that enable them to navigate multicultural settings.
Appreciation for diversity: Diaspora kids often embrace and celebrate their heritage while also incorporating aspects of the local culture. They become bridges between cultures, promoting understanding and fostering inclusivity.
Academic excellence and ambition: Driven by their families' emphasis on education and their own aspirations for success, they often excel academically. Their accomplishments serve as a testament to their determination, and the opportunities afforded by their multicultural upbringing.
Identity and empowerment: Diaspora kids often navigate the complexities of identity formation, reconciling their heritage with their experiences in the host country. Their achievements empower them to embrace their dual identities and become ambassadors for their heritage.
(November 23, 2022) Every year since the time he was 10 years old, Soumya Ranjan Biswal has walked along the beach in Astaranga, weighted down by the big gunny bag slung across his shoulder, stopping to pick up empty bottles, plastic and all manner of trash that people have left behind. This is the young wildlife conservationist's way of doing his bit for each when thousands of Olive Ridley turtles wash up on shore. Earlier in 2022, Soumya, known fondly in climate crusade circles as "Olly Boy", was appointed among the first batch of the UN's YuWaah Advocates, who will serve as an inspiration for the Sustainable Development Goals. Global Indian takes a look at his journey. Improving Climate Resilence - For Marine 🐢 Breeding Ground! We at @OdishaSeaTurtle believe in Action than symbolic performance. Reviving a 2km radius polluted water body at Devi River Mouth. Join the mission! Together we can end the plastic pollution crisis👊🌊#OdishaCoast pic.twitter.com/VU6Y17WQGU — Soumya Ranjan Biswal 🇺🇳🇮🇳 (@SoumyaMarineWL) October 26, 2022 Breaking records In 2019, Soumya, along with Dilip Kumar Biswal, a junior from college, took a month to travel through coastal areas like Rushikulya, Puri, Chillika, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Balasore. Earlier that
In 2019, Soumya, along with Dilip Kumar Biswal, a junior from college, took a month to travel through coastal areas like Rushikulya, Puri, Chillika, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Balasore. Earlier that year, he even went on a 1200-km cycle trip to spread awareness about the Olive Ridley sea turtle. It was an extended follow-up to the 800-km ride he took in 2018, which landed both Soumya and Dilip a spot in the Limca Book of Records for the 'Longest Cycle Ride for Turtles'.
Along the way, Soumya and Dilip stopped at government-run schools to spread awareness among the children and their families, as well as among the local fishing community. Their trip was partly sponsored by the Forest Department and the two conservationists also sold toy turtles, made from coconut fibre by the women in Astaranga, to fund their way.
The arrival of the Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha is a matter of worldwide recognition and interest, as about half the world's population comes to the coast to lay their eggs. This is part of the mass nesting process, known by the Spanish term 'arribada'. Soumya and his friends even return at night, keeping an eye out for predators like dogs and jackals, which come for the eggs. Working in tandem with officials, Soumya collects at-risk eggs and shifts them to hatcheries to incubate and hatch in safety.
[caption id="attachment_24560" align="aligncenter" width="395"] Soumya Ranjan Biswas with an Olive Ridley sea turtle[/caption]
"The sea turtles return to the same spot after navigating thousands of miles of ocean, to lay eggs in this part of Eastern India," Soumya told EdEx Live. The turtles arrive in batches and pick their spots on the beach, digging holes with their flippers. Each turtle lays around 70 to 190 eggs before returning to the water. "If the turtles keep coming back to the same spot every year to nest, then they are doing well. But if they don't, something is wrong."
Mangrove restoration
In Astaranga village, where he's from, Soumya is working to restore the Bhitarkanika Mangroves, a 650km stretch in the Brahmani and Baitarani river deltas. Some 62 mangrove species are found in Bhitarknanika, which is home to a number of species including the saltwater crocodile, king cobra, over 200 bird species and of course, the Olive Ridley turtles, which arrive at the Gahirmatha Beach.
[caption id="attachment_24559" align="aligncenter" width="575"] Soumya at the Mangrove Nursery. Photo: Twitter[/caption]
Although the mangroves were designated as a 'Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and are a vital part of the coastal ecosystem as well as to the livelihoods of local fishermen, they have dwindled over the years. The mangroves, he hopes, will grow to provide a habitat for various animal and bird species.
India has a mangrove cover of nearly 5,000 square kilometres, according to the India State of Forest Report 2019. Although the mangrove cover in Gujarat has increased, the number of mangroves in Odisha has seen a steady decline over the years, caused by more land diverted for agriculture and prawn farming, encroachment and a growing population. Soumya works with a team of 10 villagers as dozens of saplings are planted, in black grow bags, in Astaranga beach. He has also helped set up a first-of-its-kind mangrove nursery.
Cleaning up the coasts
The intrepid duo has widened their scope of work, from the Olive Ridley sea turtles and the mangroves to helping save sparrows, reviving water bodies and keeping the beaches clean, whether or not the Olive Ridley is coming home to next.
Hemlata with her mother[/caption]
Gitanjali Rao[/caption]
Apoorva Panidapu[/caption]
Netra Venkatesh[/caption]
Meghna Gaddam[/caption]
Sirihassa Nallamothu[/caption]
Soumya Ranjan Biswas with an Olive Ridley sea turtle[/caption]
Soumya at the Mangrove Nursery. Photo: