Chandigarh celebrates World Ozone Day at Sukhna Lake

World Ozone Day was celebrated today with enthusiasm at the Sukhna Lake. The event was organised by the Climate Change Cell of the Department of Environment, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) in association with the Global Youth Federation. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Montreal Protocol: Advancing Climate Actions”, which highlighted the vital role that the protocol played in preserving the ozone layer and promoting worldwide climate action programmes.

The event commenced at 7.30 am, with Saurabh Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, Department of Forest Wildlife, Chandigarh, as the chief guest. Additional Director, Department of Forest, Navneet Kumar Srivastava, graced the occasion as the guest of honour. More than 100 students from Postgraduate Government College, Sector 11, and CCET, Sector 26, participated in the event. It piqued the interest of bypassers also who were at the lake for a morning walk.

The celebration began with an insightful interaction between the chief guest and the students, where the significance of World Ozone Day was highlighted. Saurabh Kumar discussed the critical role of the ozone layer in protecting life on Earth and encouraged students to adopt sustainable habits under Mission LiFE to minimise ozone-depleting activities.

The students then took the ozone pledge, vowing to promote the use of ozone-friendly products and reduce ozone-depleting emissions to safeguard the planet for future generations.

Following the pledge, the chief guest flagged off the ‘umbrella march’, symbolising the protective role of the ozone layer. The march proceeded from the lake to the Bird Park, with students carrying umbrellas to raise awareness about the importance of ozone protection.