Hundreds of people gather to celebrate 'Earth Day' in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate 'Earth Day' in Visakhapatnam city in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday by participating in a walk and pledging to protect the environment.

Officials of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board took part in the rally which was inaugurated by N. Yuvaraj, District Collector of Visakhapatnam.

"Specifically, we are celebrating this Earth Day to make an importance, this earth is not only for human beings, it is for all the species living here. Millions of species are there in this earth and we have to preserve this earth for the coming generations so that the earth has his own lifespan," said N. Yuvaraj.

A participant, S. Vijaya Kumar, said that the environment is changing rapidly everyday due to selfish anthropogenic activities.

"We need to protect ground water and also the environment outside and also the way we are using the natural resources. We cannot take everything from the earth like coal and other things and also the water and gas without doing the real homework with knowledge. Everything is important. Only thing is: are we doing it with knowledge?" said Kumar.

People from different walks of life joined the march to create awareness on environmental pollution and its prevention on the theme-'It's Our Turn to Lead'.

Meanwhile, students in Leh district in Jammu and Kashmir also took an initiative of celebrating 'Earth Day' by organising a march and planting saplings.

Earth Day is an annual event which is celebrated on April 22, during which several campaigns are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

Every year more than 192 countries observe the Day, which started in 1970.