Tata Steel observed the World Environment Day in Bhubaneswar and all its operational locations in the State on Saturday. This was in keeping with the global theme for this year ‘Many Species. One Planet, One Future.’

On behalf of Tata Steel, its representative Mohit Das received the Green Crusader Memento from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at a function marking the day in Bhubaneswar.

A tree plantation programme was flagged off by vice-president (Odisha Project), Tata Steel Hridayeshwar Jha in the IM section of the upcoming steel plant at Kalinga Nagar. Jha stressed the need for industries such as his to invest in R&D and find new methods to reduce consumption of all inputs to address the future challenge that climate change may bring. “If we don’t care for our environment, nobody will care for us,” he said.

Under the guidance of the Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS), major plantation programmes were undertaken at Sukinda, Joda and Gopalpur.

In Sukinda, a large number of villagers, prominent citizens, PRI members and Tata Steel officials joined a rally on environment protection from Kakudia village in the Sukinda area. The rally was led by Head (Mines) Sushanta Kumar Mishra, ZP member Bhagabati Mohanta and Head-Admin, FA&M AK Ghosh.

In Joda, Tata Steel joined hands to observe the day. Prabhat Pheri, mass scale sapling plantation and a mass rally from the Centenary Park to the proposed park in JCO Joda were primary for the day’s agenda. Schoolchildren, too, participated in the awareness drive. Tata Steel organised essay, debate and art competitions among schoolchildren. Prominent speaker KC Das, senior environmentalist, Tata Steel, Rabindra Kumar Das, Chairman, Joda Municipality and Tata Steel Joda head Sailesh Verma addressed a large gathering of senior executives, senior citizens and schoolchildren. Verma said the company would be planting 40,000 plants in the proposed park, which would be constructed in an area of eight acre.

In order to give these initiatives a comprehensive structure and motivate employees and all others to become environment-conscious citizens, Tata Steel unveiled its unique campaign, Greenfection, to spread the green message across the country through TV and other mediums, besides rolling out its ‘You click and we plant a tree’ campaign nationwide.