Meet the students turning kayaking into a weekly mission to rescue marine life and rethink plastic pollution—one paddle at a time.

This entry won the first prize in the Class 6–8 category of the Dialogue Dhamaka Contest. This comic contest invites young eco-enthusiasts to give Babbi her voice—capturing wit, wisdom, and critical thinking about food and climate. Participants explore Babbi’s world, learn from her adventures, and craft dialogues that bring her quirky insights to life. The most creative entries are edited and published here to celebrate their talent.

Just as forests are called the ‘lungs of the earth’, wetlands are the ‘kidneys’ that regulate water and filter waste from the landscape. Wetlands include mangroves, peatlands and marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, and even coral reefs. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics, and from high altitudes to dry regions. In India, around 4.63% of the geographical area is wetlands. A total of 757,060 wetlands have been mapped in the country.

Watery Wonders: Babbi and Family Explore the Tasty Offerings of Our Disappearing Wetlands

Between land and water lies a quintessential zone of wetlands. Acting as sponges during surging monsoons and blissful oasis during scorching summers, these marshlands are integral to our climate and our Earth. An abode of exotic plants, birds and animals, they thrive and flourish with biodiversity. Our greed is throttling these water bodies. Across the country, there are numerous stories of urban wetlands disappearing because of encroachment, environmental degradation and climate change. As summers hit their peak and the usual scramble for water begins in many parts of the country, join Susmita Sengupta on an exploratory tour. …

A group of students raise awareness to preserve the beauty of wetlands I have always enjoyed the trips and picnics our school takes us for. They are a good break from studies and a time to refresh our minds. This year, our school decided to take us to the Ropar wetlands in Punjab. But, we were not excited. We were hoping for a trip to Jaipur or some other historical place.

Wetlands purify water through natural processes where aquatic plants act as bio-filters. Plants absorb phosphates and nitrates from the water and roots help to put back oxygen into the water. Constructed wetlands are a cost-effective method of treating wastewater and polluted water bodies. These are low cost solutions and can be easily made or replicated.