Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar on Wednesday celebrated World Environment Day abiding by the theme of the year — Land restoration, stopping desertification and building drought resilience.

The institute initiated a massive plantation drive on its campus to mark the occasion. They planted around 100 avenue plants, fruit-bearing plants and flowering plants.

IIT Bhubaneswar registrar Bamadev Acharya inaugurated the plantation drive. Rajan Jha, the head of school, school of basic sciences; professor-in-charge of horticulture, Srikanta Patra; and other officers, staff and students of the institute took part in this drive and planted saplings. It may be mentioned that this marked the beginning of a massive plantation drive, which aims to plant around 1,000 plants in the next 2-3 months.

It may be mentioned that the IIT Bhubaneswar campus, spanning about 943 acres, is home to more than 50,000 evergreen, deciduous flower and fruit-bearing trees. The institute has also taken several initiatives towards keeping the campus clean and green. IIT Bhubaneswar is highly committed to protecting the natural environment of this place while developing infrastructure to convert it into a hub of education and intellect.

For the last two academic years, the institute has successfully implemented the “Cycling Culture” among the students, inculcating in them a consciousness for health and fitness along with nature conservation. E-rickshaw services have also been launched inside the campus, which offers an eco-friendly mode of transportation for the students and the residents.