Bhubaneswar: The Utkal University observed the World Environment Day 2025 based on the global theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” jointly organised by the Post Graduate Council and R&D Cell of the institution in the PG Council Hall here on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion as chief speaker, noted academician, former faculty of OUAT and member of OPSC Prof. Choudhury Surya Kanta Mishra expressed concern over the rising production and prevalence of microplastics, driven by widespread presence in various environments and potential health impacts. He emphasized on sustainable management of the 400 million tonnes of plastic produced worldwide in a year. He further reiterated over rational choices to choose alternatives over plastic in everyday life and committed human interventions towards saving this planet, while adopting eco-friendly tools.
Joining the event as chief guest, Vice-Chancellor Professor Jagneshwar Dandapat called for a plastic-free campus. He emphasized to pledge on reducing use of plastics and building community resilience to meet global public health concerns. “In order to check the menace, we need to put concrete efforts towards saving the ecosystem, identify threats dismantling biodiversity of the planet and cut down the sources of micro-plastics entering our food chain,” he suggested.
Presiding over the meeting, Chairperson of PG Council Professor Mitali Chinara shed light on the inception of World Environment Day in the year 1973 by UNEP and the strides made thereafter till recent time.
The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Director of R&D, Professor Joydev Dinda who made remarks over wise and informed elimination of plastics from our lives considering economic dependency being deep in nature.
While reaffirming the University’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the observance marked a call to action and served as a reminder of the pressing need to tackle plastic pollution through education, innovation, and responsible behaviour.
Among others, officials and faculty members of the university along with a large number of research scholars and students of different departments were present.
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