Planting of saplings, painting and essay writing competitions for children, holding of awareness campaigns marked World Environment Day celebrations by various government, private, non-governmental organisations and people’s organisations in the city on Friday.
Representatives of various people’s and women’s organisations, trade unions and rights organisations staged a demonstration at the Gandhi statue near the GVMC and raised slogans decrying the erosion of environmental norms by both the Central and the State governments.
They called for criminal prosecution of the LG Polymers management and officials of regulatory bodies like the APPCB for the styrene vapour leak on May 7.
V.S. Krishna of Human Rights Forum (HRF) alleged that the Union government was systematically watering down the environmental safeguards to facilitate unbridled construction of destructive projects in ecologically sensitive areas.
J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy of CPI, P.V. Ramana and T. Srirammurthy of Civil Liberties Committee and Vimala of A.P. Mahila Samakhya were among those who spoke.
Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust K. Rama Mohan Rao participated as chief guest at the programme held in ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS), Vizag Complex. The Chairman along with Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of VPT Pradeep Kumar planted saplings. The VPT Chairman appreciated the environmental initiatives taken up by AM/NS at its premises.
Head-Vizag Asset Ravindranath and Head-HR D.S. Varma of AM/NS were present.
The Waltair Division of East Coast Railway (E Co R) organised an awareness campaign on the theme: ‘Preserve biodiversity to save human race’ to mark the occasion.
Divisional Railway Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastav said that the day provides an opportunity to rethink on sustainable environment and to adopt measures and to adopt measures to save biodiversity.
Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) had planted over 65,000 saplings within the port premises during the 2019-20 fiscal and plans to add 75,000 more during the current financial year.
An in-house awareness programme was organised to create awareness on the significance of biodiversity. GPL CEO N. Sambasiva Rao inaugurated the programme. COO V. Janardhan Rao and Director (S & P) C.S. Raju were present.
AP Federation of Residents Welfare Associations (APFERWAS) held a meeting at IIAM, MVP Colony.
J.V. Ratnam of Green Climate spoke on the role that RWAs could play in promoting greenery. He underlined the role of each and every individual in protecting the environment.
Federation general secretary A.V. Ramana Rao presided.
The Visakhapatnam Apartments Residents’ Welfare Association conducted a poster campaign and raised slogans against the destruction of environment by humans and it repercussions. Association general secretary B.B. Ganesh spoke.
Vizag Children’s Club (VCC) conducted drawing, essay writing and short video competitions on the occasion. Many children depicted the link between nature and coronavirus in their drawings and the need to grow more trees and to reduce pollution, according to VCC convener M.V. Satyakumari.
BJP Visakhapatnam Parliamentary district president M. Ravindra, former MP K. Haribabu, MLC P.V.N. Madhav, State secretary S. Kasiviswanadha Raju, party leaders S.V.S. Prakash Reddy and M. Nagendra were among those who planted saplings to mark the occasion.