MRPL Celebrates World Environment Day
Mangaluru: World Environment Day 2024 was celebrated today at MRPL Employees Recreation Centre (MERC), with a profound focus on Land Restoration, Deforestation & Conservation. The event, inaugurated at 10:00 AM, commenced with an assembly that included an invocation, lamp lighting, and the inauguration symbolized by watering a plant, followed by the rendition of the MRPL Anthem. Shri Sudarshan MS, CGM (HSE), in his welcome address, highlighted the event’s significance, reaffirming the commitment to protect and preserve the environment while cordially welcoming dignitaries and students. The administration of the Environment Day Pledge in Kannada, Hindi, and English demonstrated the collective resolve towards environmental stewardship.
The chief guest, Shri Amai Mahalinga Naik, Padma Shree Awardee (2022) an innovative farmer from Adyanadka village in Karnataka, addressed the gathering, instilling a sense of social responsibility. He narrated his journey and highlighted his motivation for finding a water source, which contributed to nature conservation, inspiring students to be more responsible towards the environment. Subsequently, Dr Smitha Hegde, Deputy Director & Professor at NITTE, engaged the audience with a comprehensive presentation emphasizing the need to prevent desertification and the necessity of behavioral change towards sustainability, urging young school children to be more aware and cautious.
Addressing the audience, Smt. Vijaya Hegde, SEO KSPCB, highlighted the responsibility to contribute to sustainability, citing real-time examples of pollution and emphasizing the role of individuals, particularly children, in fostering change. Shri BHV Prasad, ED Projects stressed the importance of afforestation and biodiversity conservation, urging listeners to avoid harming biodiversity. Shri Ganesh S Bhat, CVO MRPL, underscored the objective of the event, encouraging practical ideas to promote biodiversity.
Shri Sanjay Varma, Director Refinery, MRPL, discussed the implications of desertification, urging action to heal and restore degraded lands, citing examples and prompting the audience to take responsibility. The event included a presidential address by Shri Mundkur Shyamprasad Kamath, Managing Director, MRPL, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Felicitation of the chief guest, prize distribution, and a vote of thanks by M R Prasanna Kumar T, GM (HSE) followed.
The prizes were distributed to employees, dependents, and school children in the different competitions organized as part of World Environment Day. Kanchan Deshwal from HSE compered the programme, Ms Pavithra from HSE conducted the Prize distribution ceremony, and Ms Divya N from PFCC chanted the invocation.
The event concluded with the National Anthem and a symbolic tree plantation, symbolizing the collective commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development.