Principal District and Sessions Judge of Udupi district Kiran Siddappa Gangannavar on Tuesday said that everyone should join hands to reduce environment pollution by changing one’s lifestyle to complement conservation.

He was speaking after inaugurating the World Environment Day celebrations and planting saplings at Rajatadri, the district office complex in Manipal, Udupi district. Mr. Gangannavar, who is also the chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, said environment and biodiversity play their own role in the existence of human life.

Stating that children should be enlightened about environment conservation and encouraged to plant more saplings, the judge said one should reduce the use of single-use plastic to prevent environment pollution.

MIT Civil Engineering professor Balakrishna Maddodi said nature creates positive vibes among people. Development works should be complementing the environment, he said, adding the youth have greater responsibility in conservation efforts.

Deputy Commissioner K. Vidyakumari, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board regional officer D.P. Mahendra, and others were present.

Environment pollution

Inaugurating the celebrations on the SDM College premises in Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada District Legal Services Authority member-secretary and senior civil judge B.G. Shobha said destruction of environment also happens from pollution besides felling of trees.

She said human beings were felling trees and causing environment pollution for daily needs without foreseeing the damage caused to the environment. The environment day celebrations should not be confined to one day, but one should inculcate it in one’s daily life.

Mangaluru Deputy Conservator of Forests Anthony S. Mariappa said destruction of plants was also causing depletion of groundwater levels. Despite the department planting thousands of saplings every year, the green cover was depleting for various reasons, he regretted.

Nirmithi Kendra Executive Director Rajendra Kalbavi delivered a special talk. SDM Law college Principal Taranath, KSPCB senior environment officer Vijaya Hegde, Assistant Conservator of Forests P. Sridhar and others were present.

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