Rallies, plantations mark World Environment Day

Ongole (Prakasam District): The district administration, various departments and voluntary organisations in the district celebrated World Environment Day with rallies and planting saplings in Ongole on Sunday.

It is the responsibility of everyone to protect the environment, and reduce pollution, said former Environment and Forests Minister and Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy. He flagged off the awareness rally on the protection of environment from the district Collectorate to the mini stadium and participated in it.

He advised the public to use bicycles in the place of petrol and diesel vehicles to reduce pollution.

Sathanuthalapadu MLA TJR Sudhakar Babu advised the public to be part of the government's initiatives in controlling pollution.

Ongole Mayor Gangada Sujatha asked the public to reduce the usage of plastic and protect trees.

Joint Collector M Abhishikt Kishore said that the future of the next generation depends on the steps the present generation is taking and asked the public to grow more trees.

District Judge and Chairperson of District Legal Services Authority A Bharathi, additional district judges D Ammanna Raja, R Sarath Babu, DLSA secretary K Syambabu, and others planted saplings in

the district court complex in Ongole, celebrating the World Environment Day.

The district judge said that everyone should take the responsibility to protect the environment around them and protect the saplings they plant until they grow perfectly to reduce the pollution.

Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy flagged off the rally from the CVN Reading Room to the collectorate, organized by the Volunteer Environment Organisation. The organization's chairman G Veerabhadrachari said that human existence depends on the protection of the nature and environment. He advised the public to grow trees and use bicycles for commuting to reduce the carbon footprint.

Organisation members Kathi Siva, Dharanikota Lakshminarayana, Dr Santhaveluri, and others also participated in the programme.

The district youth services officer Kamal Sa and the staff at Nehru Yuva Kendra organized awareness meetings and planted the saplings at Chirala and Markapuram and distributed various plants to the public, celebrating the World Environment Day. Kamal Sa and others requested the public to take care of the plants as they could provide their shadow and coolness even in the scorching summer, along with the protection of the environment.