Collectors exhort people to adopt lifestyle sans plastic

Collector Vinod Kumar V. planting a sapling at Nagaravanam as part of World Environment Day celebrations in Anantapur on Thursday. | Photo Credit: R.V.S. Prasad

Plantation drives were conducted on Thursday to mark the World Environment Day celebrations across Anantapur, Nandyal, Kurnool, and Chittoor districts. The District Collectors and officials planted saplings with a call to the people to plant more trees and avoid usage of plastic.

In Anantapur district, the drive was led by District Collector Dr Vinod Kumar V., Raptadu MLA Paritala Sunitha and others at Nagaravanam in Pampanuru village of Atmakuru mandal. At the occasion, the Collector and MLA urged the people to plant saplings in a big way and urged them to adopt a lifestyle sans plastic. Mr. Kumar said the ban on single use plastic would also be implemented in rural areas of the district and steps would be taken to control usage of plastic.

The Collector asked the officials to not give bouquets at government functions but instead give saplings. He also said that officials should stop using plastic water bottles during meetings and bring their own steel water bottles.

In Nandyal district, Collector Rajakumari Gania said an action plan has been drawn to plant four lakh saplings across the district and the focus was to protect the planted saplings. She said efforts are being made to take up avenue, block and bund plantation and saplings are available at forest and NREGA nurseries in the district.

Ms. Gania said that burning plastic along with waste releases harmful chemicals into the air leading to health issues and urged the people to avoid usage of plastic. She was speaking at the plantation drive held at Municipal High School in Nandyal town along with Minister for Minority Welfare N. Md. Farooq.

In Kurnool, a plantation drive was taken up in Nagaravanam at Gargeyapuram on the outskirts of the district. Collector P. Ranjith Basha planted saplings and asked the people to avoid plastic.

In Chittoor, plantation drive was taken up in Neeva Nagaravanam on the outskirts of the town in which Chittoor MLA G. Jagan Mohan took part.

Saplings were also planted by the Sri Sathya Sai and Nandyal district police.

Published - June 05, 2025 07:49 pm IST