World Ozone Day: Science City Kapurthala organises webinar

Kapurthala: The Science City Kapurthala organised a webinar on World Ozone Day on September 16. Anuradha Sharma, environmental engineer from Punjab Pollution Control Board, addressing on the occasion, said, “The fast depletion of stratospheric ozone layer allows harmful UV radiation to penetrate earth’s atmosphere and causes several direct and indirect harmful effects on human beings as well as on other living beings.

The most severe and serious effect of UV radiation on human being is skin cancer. The other health disorders of UV radiation are cataract of eyes, mutations and loss of immunity.” During the webinar titled “Ozone for Life : 35 years of Ozone Layer Protection” she further said, “There is no second opinion that alleviation of public awareness on all aspects, including environmental protection can give wonderful results.

Hence, public awareness programmes assume significant place.” Dr Neelima Jerath, Director General PGSC in her introductory remarks said: “Collective decisions and actions guided by science are the only way to solve major global crisis. In this year of the Covid-19 pandemic, that has brought such social and economic hardship, the ozone treaties’ message of working together in harmony with nature and for the collective good is more important than ever.”

Dr Rajesh Grover, Director Science City, urged the students to protect and save ozone layer by planting more and more trees, use public transport and also emphasised on the usage of renewable sources of energy. – Aparna Banerji