MRPL celebrated World Environment Day on 5th June 2018 in a befitting manner with the theme "Beat Plastic Pollution”. This year for World Environmental Day, the host nation is India and the theme is "Beat Plastic Pollution". By choosing this Theme, it is aimed that people may strive to change their everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution. People should be free from the over-reliance on single-use plastic or disposables, as they have severe environmental consequences.

Shri UV Aithal, CGM – HSE & ISO welcomed the gathering. The Environment Pledge was administered in Kannada, Hindi and English by Shri Sushil Chandra, GGM – Projects, Shri Chander Mani, CGM – Maintenance Planning and Shri T Ramakrishna, GGM - Maintenance respectively.

Shri M Vinayakumar, GGM I/c Refinery, TS & MO while speaking on the occasion said that MRPL has joined hands with the district administration in developing water parks and planting more trees around us.

Shri Rajeev Kushwah, CVO spoke on the occasion and said that we have done more damage to the environment by overuse of plastic in the last ten years. Try to reuse the plastic and look for alternatives other than plastic, he said.

Dr Chandrashekhar Chowta, Chairman, Arboretum Sub Committee, Pilikula Nisarga Dhama was the chief guest of the programme. He spoke on the occasion and said that today we have become more dependent on plastics and using it in all activities of life. We have only one earth which has all the bio diversities to accommodate the living beings and we need to save it, he said.

Shri Madhav Ullal, Environmentalist and Rajyotsava Awardee spoke on the occasion and said that all countries need to come together in saving the environment. He encouraged using cloth bags instead of the plastic carry bags. He exhorted to plant more trees like Kadamba trees and save the environment.

Shri Rajshekhar Puranik, Environment Officer, KSPCB spoke and explained the ill effects of plastic and appealed audience to make use of plastics responsibly.

The attraction of the day was Miss Hani H.R, a nine year girl who had embarked on service to nature at such a fledgling age and has formed a team of activists of Environment called Green Warriors.

Shri M Venkatesh, Managing Director spoke on the occasion and said that plastic too has come from the nature but its misuse has created the problem. Research is required to convert the municipal waste with plastic into productive fuels, he said. Some such technologies are already under development he explained. Without the use of fuels and plastics we wouldn’t have grown to this level but we need to use it responsibly he concluded.

Prizes were given away to the winners in the various competitions held during the environment day celebrations.

As skit was enacted by Padua Ranga Adhyayana Kendra students to highlight the impact of plastic overuse. Various models on the theme of ‘Beat Plastics’ were presented by the DPS school students

Shri Pramod Mishra, DGM (Env & Safety) proposed the vote of thanks and Ms. Pavithra compered the programme. Saplings were planted by the dignitaries after the event.