The city marked World Environment Day with a slew of programmes, mainly planting of saplings, by different organisations and educational institutions.
FACT CMD A Asokan inaugurated the celebrations by planting saplings and announcing FACT house and its surroundings plastic-free zone. NCP state president A C Shanmukhadas said the party has decided to giving membership to only those people who plant at least two saplings a year.
The city police also joined hands with others in observing Environment Day. City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham planted saplings at the Commissioner’s office in the presence of Deputy commissioner P H Ashraff and assistant commissioners Shamsu Illickal and Ammos Mamman.
Observing the day in a different manner, the TD Road Citizens Welfare Association with the help of Corporation launched a selfsustained waste disposal initiative. Deputy Mayor C K Manishankar inaugurated the mission which is being carried out with the technical support of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI).
The Lawyers Environmental Awareness Forum (LEAF) along with KELSA and the High Court Advocates Association also planted saplings. Justice C N Ramachandran Nair inaugurated the celebrations. As a part of the corporation’s mission to plant one lakh saplings, the Go Green International planted 10,000 saplings along the road and in the campuses of institutions.
The Nava Nirman Public School here also planted saplings. It honoured the oldest jack fruit tree in the campus by tying a yellow ribbon around the tree and reciting ‘green’ poems. The chairman of the school C V Paul inaugurated the celebrations and administered a pledge to the students.
The Gregorian Public School initiated ‘Plant a Sapling Nurture Our Nature’ programme. Principal Jayaprabha Pradeep handed over a sapling to Elizabeth Jojo of Grade I. The school will distribute saplings to students and monitor the efforts taken by them.
Environment conservation has been made an important agenda for the activities of the school in the current academic year. The School Encon Club decided to maintain a fiveminute ‘poweroff’ period on all Fridays.
The Southern Naval Command, in a novel mission, began operating a sevenseater environmentfriendly batteryoperated vehicle for patients visiting the naval hospital, INHS Sanjivani.
The Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) observed the day by planting around 200 trees in the campus. The Ernakulam regional centre of CDIT screened a film and conducted a seminar on environment.
