The Commissionerate of GST and Central Excise teamed up with Auroville Foundation to undertake a campus greening initiative at schools in the vicinity.
As part of the Swachh Bharat event, scores of volunteers first cleared litter from the areas around the Auroville Outreach schools of Udavi (Edayanchavadi) and New Creation (Kuilapalayam/Bommaiyarpalayam), the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (Periya Kalapet) and the Achariya Arts and Science College (Villianur).
Once the surroundings of the schools were cleaned, hundreds of saplings were planted on these campuses. Students assumed the responsibility of nurturing the saplings and passing on the benefit of a tree-dotted environment to students of the future generation.
Plantation drives were carried out at other locations too. Volunteers from civil society organisations, trade associations, school and college students, panchayat sanitation workers, CGST officers and members of the public, participated in the event.
The local panchayats of all locations joined for an interaction on the theme of environmental awareness, Auroville Foundation said.
The programme was hosted as part of the Iconic Week celebrations (June 6-11), designated to various Ministries and Departments under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence.
Greener India
Participating in the drive, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said the tree plantation project would help quickly create a cleaner and a greener India. Noting that true liberation was that of the mind, Ms. Soundararajan said a clean environment was a pre-requisite for purity of thought.
N. Padmasri, Commissioner, GST&CE, Puducherry and Jayanti Ravi, Secretary, Auroville Foundation, led the day-long “Cleaning and Greening” programme.
Mass cleaning activities had been planned in and around Auroville in partnership with Urbaser Sumeet, a waste management company. Similar activities were also planned in D.P. Thottam (officers’ residential quarters at Pondicherry), Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, the GST and Central Excise Department said.
In the evening, a cultural programme was presented by students of Carnatic vocal trainer Shoba Raghavan, and with Odissi dance performances of Guru Sangeeta Dash and her student Aneesh Raghavan.
