As the storm clouds gather in the June sky, the NDTV team is putting their last-minute touches for their annual Greenathon.

Begun in 2008, the NDTV-Toyota Green campaign was India’s first nationwide campaign to save the environment and included the country’s first telethon ‘The Greenathon’. This mega 24-hour event raised funds to support The Energy and Resource Institute’s (TERI) ‘Lighting a Billion Lives’ campaign, which works towards providing solar power to villages without electricity.

So, what is the Greenathon? With Bollywood celebrities, music, debates, and fundraising events involving the rich, poor and everybody else in between, this is one of India’s biggest charity events. In their first two years, the campaign raised over Rs.4.3 crore, a whopping sum by most standards. The project has provided over 35000 lanterns to families across India and has even helped 500 families in Myanmar. The LaBL lanterns are available in various shapes and brightness options; you can see some of them here.

This year, the event will take place on June 4 &5. For the first time, the Greenathon will go international. Along with their usual reporting from the major Indian cities, NDTV teams in London, Toronto, Sydney, Mt Everest base camp, Japan and South Africa will be covering the event. The Greenathon 3 will join UNEP in celebrating the World Environment Day

Will you be participating this year? A host of events are being organised across the country. In Mumbai, clean-ups are being organised at Bandra and Dadar. Volunteers will demonstrate waste segregation and there will also be an exhibition of products made from recycled materials. In Delhi, activities will be centred around Select City Mall. Chennai residents can head to Elliott’s beach where a plastic-free drive will be conducted, along with a day full of fun activities. This year, Kashmiris can join 200 students in a rally to protest against the continued use of plastics in the lovely valley. Events are also planned in other cities, so join in if you can.

If not, head to the interactive website (http://green.ndtv.com) which invites the ordinary man-on-the-street to participate. Send in your suggestions on greening the environment, videos about how people around you are making a difference or sign an online pledge to save the planet. You can also pledge to join actor Milind Soman in his annual marathon for this campaign. This year, Soman plans to run 550 kms from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, in 15 days. You can register to run with him and do your bit.

Light up a billion lives; it is as easy as putting on your running shoes. Do it now.