Punjab Governor launches plantation drive at PAU

The monsoon season at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, began on a green note as the Governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, planted a sapling on campus to launch this year’s plantation drive in conjunction with Vanmahotsava, celebrated in July each year. His gesture also marked a meaningful chapter in PAU’s ongoing ‘Clean and Green Campus Drive’, an initiative that first took root in the university’s Diamond Jubilee year of 2022.

The Governor praised PAU for not only teaching agriculture but also living it. He said the act of planting trees holds power far beyond the moment; it shapes the air we breathe and the legacy we leave behind. He called upon students to treat saplings as companions, growing alongside them through their academic years. Universities, he remarked, must lead by example in creating spaces where nature and learning walk hand in hand.

PAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, reflected on how clean spaces remain clean because people respect them, while littered areas invite more carelessness. This simple behavioural truth, he said, lies at the heart of PAU’s green movement. He spoke of the university’s commitment to keep development and green cover in balance, never allowing one to eclipse the other.

The ongoing ‘Clean and Green PAU Campus Drive’ includes native plantations, water body revival, a revamped botanical garden, themed landscapes, QR-coded trees and even a dense Miyawaki Forest near Gate No 1. Every corner of PAU, he added, is being reimagined as a space where nature is respected and restored.

PAU Registrar, Dr Rishi Pal Singh, observed that the plantation drive was more than an annual tradition; it was a growing culture of care and climate consciousness. He acknowledged the tireless efforts of the PAU fraternity in making environmental thinking part of the campus DNA. This spirit, he opined, would ripple far beyond university walls, shaping responsible citizens of tomorrow.

The estate officer, Dr Rishi Indra Singh Gill, described the behind-the-scenes work. He shared that July 2024 saw nearly 150 saplings planted each day as part of a month-long green push aligned with Vanmahotsava. Central to this drive was the ‘one student, one tree’ concept, encouraging personal stewardship. The newly established Miyawaki Forest, spread over one acre and home to 10,000 plants from 42 species, is a living laboratory for students and a biodiversity haven for the campus.

From flowering shrubs to towering trees, from medicinal herbs to native flora, PAU’s green journey is growing deeper roots every season. These efforts are not just beautifying the campus; they are reviving ecological balance, nurturing biodiversity, and planting seeds of change in every student who walks these grounds.

Ludhiana