Port Blair, June 5: The Inaugural function for the workshop on WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY, 2023 under the theme # BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION was held at Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Port Blair on 5th June 2023. The Chief Guest Dr. P. Vijayachari, Director, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Port Blair and Guests of Honour Dr. Kailash Chandra, Former Director, Zoological Survey of India, Professor, National Forensic Science University, Guwahati, Assam and Dr. P.S. Easa, Former Director, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala were present at the function in offline and online mode. The ceremony started with a prayer song and lighting of traditional lamp.
Dr. C. Sivaperuman, Officer-in-Charge, ZSI, A&N Regional Centre greeted the gathering with his welcome address. In his address he glided through the main aim of this day which is to promote awareness on the importance of protecting our environment, thus making the earth a better place to live in. He highlighted the various ecosystems and their provisions to the local community as well as to the island biodiversity. He also pointed out that with available science and solutions, it will be easier to tackle the problem, governments, companies and other stakeholders must scale up and speed actions to solve this crisis. He implied how the sharing of technologies and knowledge underscores the importance of this World Environment Day in mobilizing transformative action from every corner of the world. The takeaway messages from the speech were viz., first to plant at least one tree in any special occasion like on your birthday, anniversary etc. And secondly, we must work as one – governments, companies, and consumers alike – to break our addiction to plastics, champion zero waste, and build a truly circular economy. The speaker stressed on the matter that together, we can shape a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.
Dr. P.S. Easa, Former Director, Kerala Forest Research Institute in his felicitation address mentioned the significance of micro plastic pollution. He explicitly mentioned the environment is the most crucial tool for our prolonged existence on Earth. Our environment supports and sustains us.
The Guest of Honor Dr. Kailash Chandra in his felicitation address accentuated that the participants must know the ecological as well as the economic aspects of marine and land pollution. He highlighted that life would be impossible without soil, water, and air. Biotic elements like plants and animals serve as essential survival tools as well. Plants clean the air we breathe. Animals and vegetation provide us with food. The ecological web is a network of relationships in which every element of the environment is interdependent. This network must be balanced because if one part disintegrates, the entire system will deteriorate and wipe out all life. Because of this, we must decide to act to protect the environment and repair the harm we caused.
The Chief Guest Dr. P. Vijayachari, Director, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Port Blair in his address, he elucidated the major issues that impact the environment and the life it supports, such as overpopulation, global warming, etc. By bringing governments and people together, it aims to provide the environmental cause with a global platform and elevate the protection of the environment. Connecting with nature is the most significant way to observe World Environment Day. For the growth of plants, organic material can be added. We can gather newspapers, tea bags, eggshells, fruit and vegetable peels, and other biowaste to prepare compost. He also mentioned on how Environmental pollution played a central role in launching the environmental movement during the twentieth century. While some environmental ethicists have worried that concerns about pollution reflect a relatively “shallow” form of environmentalism focused on the concerns of the wealthy, pollution is also a significant threat to many disadvantaged groups, citizens of low-income countries, and non-human organisms.
The inaugural function was followed by a technical session in which talks were delivered by Dr. M VINOD KUMAR, Zonal Director, Fishery Survey of India, Port Blair; Dr. Deepak Apte, Former Director BNHS, Director, Shrushti Conservation Foundation, Mumbai; Dr. C. Sivaperuman, Officer-in-Charge, Zoological Survey of India and Dr. E.B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Institute, Port Blair.
The function concluded with the vote of thanks, followed by the National Anthem.