Rallies, plantation drives mark World Environment Day in city

Mysuru: Awareness rallies, competitions for schoolchildren, distribution of eco-friendly cloth bags, electric vehicles, planting of saplings, competitions organised by various organisations and departments marked the World Environment Day in the city on Monday. Rallies were also undertaken by school and college students with an aim to spread awareness against the use of plastic to fight polon.
Hundreds of volunteers took part in the rally organised by Rural Literacy and Health Programme (RLHP) from the north gate of the Mysuru Palace till DC office. The participants were seen holding placards carrying messages to raise awareness about the importance of planting more trees and against the use of plastic.
Various institutions, including the department of environment of University of Mysore, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Central Sericulture Research and Training Institute, Builders Association of India besides various colleges and schools celebrated the World Environment Day by planting saplings on their premises, organising seminars and workshops, holding rallies to sensitise the public to protect the environment.
Krishnaraja MLA TS Srivatsa, who inaugurated the celebrations organised by forest department at Seth Tulsidas Memorial Hospital, said all efforts should be made to discourage people from using plastic materials as mismanagement of plastic waste leads to pollution.
He said that trees that were planted decades ago along the roadside in Mysuru were uprooted and fell on public and private properties during the rainy season due to concretisation of the surrounding land.
“As water is not allowed to seep into the ground due to construction of pavements using concrete tiles, roadside trees are falling during the rainy season. There is an urgent need to remodel the city's pavements,” he said.
“Perforated pavement tiles and intermittent mud patches have been laid in several cities to protect trees and plants on the roadside. These pavements allow water to seep into the ground and also helps to nurture small patches of urban biodiversity,” he said, adding that the forest department and civic officials should focus on such issues to help retain fully-grown trees on the roadside.
Speaking after distributing eco-friendly cloth bags to both customers and traders near Dufferin Clock Tower opposite of Devaraja Market, mayor Shivakumar appealed to citizens to rid the city of plastic. He wanted the plastic eradication drive to begin from households and asked homemakers to discourage use of plastic covers, cups and plates.