KOCHI: Kochi city was at the feet of mother earth on her D-day on Monday. A number of organisations, educational institutions and district administration organised a variety of events to commemorate the World Environment Day. M. Swaraj, MLA, inaugurated the district-level functions at Edakochi PKM Auditorium as part of the Haritha Keralam programme. A total of 4.5 lakh saplings are being planted in the district as part of the programme. along with Mr Swaraj, actor Nivin Pauly, district collector Muhammed Y. Safirulla and John Fenandez, MLA, also planted saplings.
The CPM’s programme of planting 25,000 bamboo saplings on the banks of Periyar was inaugurated by finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac at a function at Aluva attended by Prof M.K. Sanu, Innocent, MP, P. Rajeev, actors Nadirsha and Dileep and directors Amal Neerad, Aashiq Abu, among a galaxy of cultural, political and literary personalities. The day was observed at Ernakulam Rural police headquarters with the planting of saplings by staff. The NSS wings of MG University, Sanskrit Universtiy and Sacred Heart College, Thevara, observed the day with the planting and distribution of saplings. Vice-Chancellor Dr Rose Varghese led the planting of 500 saplings on NUALS campus.
IndianOil, in its effort make the world a better place to live, resolved to plant/distribute over 1 lakh saplings across Kerala. At Lourde’s Hospital, Kochi, saplings were distributed to school children, patients and staff members on the occasion. Youth Congress Ernakulam block committee deployed its 50 activists to clean the road stretch from Corporation office to High Court. Sections of Kochi Corporation staff and councillors led by the Opposition leader K.J. Antony and Mayor Soumini Jain separately planted saplings. Leaving nature to itself is the best landscaping, said Dr. Baju George, CEO, SmartCity Kochi, at an event organized by Sands Infrabuild, which is building one of the tallest IT buildings in India in SmartCity, in connection with the World Environment Day.
