Planting of saplings, awareness drive mark World Environment Day in Tiruchi

Volunteers planting saplings at Ponmalai in Tiruchi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Planting of tree saplings, awareness drives, and administration of pledge to protect the environment marked the World Environment Day here on Thursday.

The day was celebrated at Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) Tiruchi complex, with the inauguration of a mass plantation drive by S. Prabhakar, executive director, and senior management officials inside the factory premises.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Prabhakar said that conserving the environment and making this world a better place for future generations required continuous efforts and urged everyone to continuously observe a plastic-free lifestyle by using alternative eco-friendly materials. Various awareness programmes, rallies and competitions for employees, township residents and campus schoolchildren were held, according to an official statement.

Volunteers of the Thanneer organisation planted saplings of native tree varieties in the city to mark the day. An awareness programme was organised at the Corporation Elementary School at Edamalaipattipudur. Native tree saplings such as navel, neem, mango, and magizham were planted at Ambedkar Hall in Ponmalai and at the school campus. K. C. Neelamegam of Thanneer and others distributed saplings and cloth bags and took a pledge.

An awareness programme was organised by the non-profit organisation VOICE Trust in which around 180 students of the Government Higher Secondary School at Lalgudi participated. T. Krishnan, Forest Ranger Officer from M.R. Palayam extension insisted upon taking cloth bags and vessels for purchases in the shop and in the market to end plastic pollution. Tree saplings and cloth bags were distributed to the students to promote awareness.

People’s Development Initiatives (PDI), supported by the Azim Premji Foundation, organised a plantation drive at Jailpettai tenements. Youth, women, and officials from the Jail Pettai Area Residents’ Welfare Association conducted a cleanliness drive to remove accumulated garbage from the area. Around 35 diverse tree saplings, including neem, peru nelli, iyal vaagai, pungai and vilvam, were planted. I. Ambalavanan, Director, PDI, and Ponnusamy, President of the welfare association, took part.

In the central districts, Collectors and senior officials inaugurated tree sapling planting drives and other programmes to mark the occasion.

Published - June 05, 2025 07:22 pm IST