Kapurthala News (June 5, 2026): The Department of Science, Technology and Environment organized a state level function to celebrate the World Environment Day, 2026 at Pushpa Gujral Science City (PGSC) today. The World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated all over the World on 5th June every year to commemorate the United Nations (UN) Conference on the Human Environment also known as the Stockholm Conference held in 1972. This is UN Flagship event for promoting Environment awareness and actions at grassroot level. The UN theme for celebration of the World Environment Day, 2026 is “Climate Change Actions”.
Inaugurating the celebrations, Padam Shri Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, MP (Rajya Sabha) who was the Chief Guest of the event, launched an awareness campaign for plantation in the State by distributing plants and calling upon the people to participate in the Nobel cause of plantation. He asked people to plant native trees and shun the use of plastic for protection of environment.
Recognizing the outstanding and significant contributions made in the field of Environment, Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources of Punjab, the Hon’ble MP conferred 2026 edition of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Punjab State Annual Environment Award to three organizations namely Gram Panchayat, Village Seechewal, District Jalandhar (category – “Gram Panchayat”), School of Eminence, Village Chhajli, District Sangrur (category – “Institution”) and Salute the Trees, Rajpura, District Patiala (category – “NGO/Social Organization”). The Award included cash prize of Rs. 1 Lac, a certificate of appreciation and silver plate memento to each organization.
The Hon’ble MP also felicitated 8 grassroot innovators of Punjab selected out of 553 entries by Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST) for developing low cost indigenous technologies and processes with their own ingenuity and know-how. State Council for Education, Research & Training (SCERT) was felicitated for achieving 208 Green School awards for govt. schools of Punjab. Similarly, the District Hoshiarpur was felicitated for securing the best district award in India under Green School Program for conducting Green Audits.
The Chief Guest of the Event Padam Shri Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, MP (Rajya Sabha) shared his views and experiences about the conservation of environment and abatement of the Water Pollution in the state of Punjab. He expressed concerns over the prevailing environmental challenges of the State and highlighted the holistic remedial actions being undertaken by the State Govt. to address the same in a time bound manner to make Punjab as one of the healthiest State with clean and green environment. He further called upon the people of the State to contribute at their own level for the improvement of their surroundings and environment by following the teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who preached us to respect and conserve nature by equating ‘Air’ with Guru, ‘Water’ with Father and ‘Earth’ with Mother. He also made a clarion call to the citizens of Punjab to adopt ecofriendly lifestyle and have compassion for nature and its all attributes.
Shri Kamal Kishor Yadav, Secretary, Department of Science, Technology & Environment also addressed the gathering and informed about various key programs and policy level interventions being undertaken to address the various environmental challenges of the state.
The other senior govt. officers namely Smt. Shailender Kaur, IFS, Special Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment -cum- Director General, PGSC, Sh. Akash Bansal, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, Dr. Lavneet Dubey, Member Secretary, PPCB, Er. Pritpal Singh, Executive Director- PSCST, Dr. Ajit Dua, CEO-PBTI, Dr. Rajesh Grover, Director, PGSC and Dr. Gurharminder Singh, Joint Director, Directorate of Environment & Climate Change were also present on the occasion. The event was attended by around 400 participants consisting prominent environmentalists, representatives of the industries, community organizations, NGOs and School & College students.
