Ozone Day Celebrated at Nauni University

Solan, Sept. 16

The Department of Environmental Science, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, joined the global community in commemorating World Ozone Day on Tuesday. The day marks the anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, the landmark 1987 treaty aimed at phasing out substances responsible for ozone layer depletion.

The event was held under the global theme ‘From Science to Global Action’ and witnessed enthusiastic participation from over 80 individuals, including research scholars, scientists, SPACE Club members and students of the IGNOU Environmental Science programme. The celebrations featured a variety of awareness activities such as expert lectures, quiz competitions, slogan writing, poster-making and an awareness rally across the campus.

Prof. Satish Bhardwaj, Head of the Department of Environmental Science, emphasized the crucial role of scientific research in understanding ozone depletion. He credited global cooperation under the Montreal Protocol for significant reductions in ozone-depleting substances and urged students, scientists and citizens to continue acting on scientific evidence by adopting sustainable, ozone and climate-friendly technologies. “The ozone layer is healing today because the world listened to science and acted together. This should inspire us to do the same for other global environmental crises,” he remarked. Prof. Bhardwaj noted that if current policies continue, the ozone layer is expected to fully recover by the middle of this century.

Doctoral scholar Pansul explained how the ozone layer, located in the stratosphere, acts as Earth’s protective shield against harmful UV-B radiation. She highlighted how human-made chemicals like CFCs have contributed to its depletion, resulting in threats to human health, ecosystems, and climate stability. Programme coordinator Dr. Hukam Chand Sharma encouraged participants to take individual actions to combat ozone depletion and climate change. Dr. Pratima and Dr. Vipin Sharma further sparked discussion on ozone protection and motivated young minds to work collectively for the planet’s well-being. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. P.K. Baweja, followed by a campus rally organized by Dr. M.S. Jangra and Dr. Kartikey Sahil to spread broader awareness.

As part of the celebrations, winners of various competitions were also felicitated. The poster-making competition was won by Eepsa (first), Roop Nandini (second), and Tanisha (third). The slogan writing competition saw Anchal Soni (first), Anushka (second), and Zothalpuii (third) emerging as winners. The quiz competition was won by the Stratosquad team, led by doctoral scholar Tanvi.