District Collector Sumit Kumar planting a sapling at Gudipala near Chittoor to mark World Environment Day celebrations on Friday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
District Collector Sumit Kumar urged people to take environmental protection as both a social and personal responsibility, stating that safeguarding nature remains an integral part of India’s cultural heritage.The Collector launched the World Environment Day celebrations at Gudipala on Friday (June 5, 2026) by planting saplings and distributing seed balls to students and villagers. Joint Collector Adarsh Rajendran, District Forest Officer G. Subburaj, and senior officials from various government departments were present.Addressing the meeting, Mr. Sumit Kumar called on the villagers to support afforestation efforts and contribute to enhancing the green cover across urban and rural areas. “Every individual should voluntarily plant and nurture trees, as they represent ecological balance and the well-being of future generations,” he said.Highlighting government initiatives, the Collector observed that social forestry programmes implemented with support from the NREGA scheme were helping create livelihoods while strengthening environmental sustainability. He warned that rising temperatures, heatwaves, unseasonal rainfall, and other climate disruptions were signals of environmental stress. He called for a massive fight against the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources and plastic use.District Forest Officer Subburaj said that villagers and students could play a crucial role in the plantation drive across the district. Published - June 05, 2026 06:40 pm IST
