District Collector S.A.M. Rizvi, Commissioner of Police Amit Garg, Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu, and others were in the list of dignitaries who signed on a green poster as part of the signature campaign organised by the Municipal Corporation at the PWD Grounds on the occasion of the World Environment Day.
Addressing the people, Mr. Rizvi said that activities being held to create awareness about environmental protection would go a long way in sensitising the people to the immediate task of preventing polluting sources. He called upon all citizens to join hands with the administration and various organisations to make environmental campaigns a success.
Mr. Amit Garg and Mr. Vishnu said that it was the duty of everyone to contribute their mite for the protection and preservation of environment in the best interests of one and all.
The Regional Science Centre of the Andhra Pradesh Council for Science and Technology organised a meeting to mark the World Environmental Day at its centre premises.
The centre's sixth annual day celebrations were also held on the occasion. Addressing as chief guest, deputy inspector of schools Kumar Thotte said that the responsibility of protecting and preserving environment was there on everybody's shoulders.
In the competitions held on the topic ‘Environmental protection' organised earlier, Ranadheer,
Hannock Sri Tej, and Ganesh won the first, second and third prizes respectively. Headmaster of MPP School S. Rajarathnam said that for saving environment, there should be a greater thrust on tree plantation, use of non-conventional energy sources, reducing emissions and so on. Later, officials, teachers, and students participated in tree plantation on the centre premises.
The Gateway Hotel took an initiative for organising the World Environment Day celebrations for creating awareness among the people. They displayed banners and staff wore green shirts and trees planted on the occasion. Sales manager Shabul Hassan said that this was done as part of the hotel's corporate social responsibility.
The hotel management also organised a week-long drive to mark the occasion and various competitions were organised in quiz, poster competition, best slogan contest, and painting.
Action sought
Krishna University Vice-Chancellors M.K. Durga Prasad said that if the human beings continue to meddle with nature and environment, it will take revenge certainly with vengeance leaving no scope for escaping this predicament.
Speaking at a function as part of the World Environment Day celebrations on the theme “Forests: Nature at your service” speakers gave a call for immediate action to prevent pollution of environment in every way possible and support initiatives for increasing forest cover.
The theme was selected keeping in view the declaration by the United Nations Organisation to observe 2011 as the International Year of Forests. At the meeting organised at the Siddhartha Medical College Auditorium by the AP Pollution Control Board, he referred to the perception that forests were like the skin of the earth and there would be no safety if green cover was erased.
