Nearly 3,500 students of classes XI and XII gathered at St Xavier’s College this week to discuss the effects of climate change on Calcutta and how students can help tackle the crisis.

The occasion was a two-day youth summit on “Climate Change Kolkata City — Our Responsibility”, held on January 27 and 28.

“Various news reports have revealed that our beloved Calcutta is among the cities that is going to be the victim of climate change. When the city is struggling to breathe non-toxic air, it is very important to know whether climate change will spare the City of Joy,” Father Dominic Savio, principal, St Xavier’s College, said while inaugurating the summit.

Students from 80 private English-medium and state-aided Bengali-medium schools participated in the summit.

The college involved Class XI and XII students in order to create awareness among them and ensure they developed an inclination to tackle the crisis.

“Students are our future leaders. So, once they know what is climate change... they will understand better the steps they will have to take to prevent environment pollution,” Father Savio said.

Impact of climate change is showing in many ways even in Calcutta, said Father Xavier, vice-principal, the morning section of the college.

It is one of the factors that spread certain vector-borne diseases like dengue. “Climate change lengthens the transmission season of malaria and dengue,” he said.