Garhwal Post Bureau
Pantnagar, 16 Jul: Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, celebrated the traditional festival of Harela with the launch of a 15-day “Green Yajna” campaign, reaffirming its commitment to environmental conservation by pledging to plant and nurture 50,000 saplings across the university campus, research stations, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and adopted villages. The campaign was inaugurated by Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), Chancellor of Pantnagar Agriculture University, in the presence of Dr Shailendra, Prant Pracharak, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Uttarakhand, and Dr Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, Vice-Chancellor of GBPUAT.
Before the inauguration, the Governor planted a Rudraksha sapling in the Tarai Bhawan premises and visited an exhibition of mango varieties organised at Gandhi Hall.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor said that Harela is not merely a festival but a celebration of humanity’s bond with nature, farmers, and the motherland. He called upon Pantnagar University to lead ‘Green Revolution 2.0’ by integrating Artificial Intelligence, data science, water conservation, carbon management, and advanced agricultural technologies into modern farming. He emphasised that the future of agriculture must be climate-resilient, technology-driven, and farmer-centric. Urging scientists to ensure that their research reaches farmers, he said that meaningful innovation should directly improve farmers’ livelihoods.
The Governor appreciated the University’s resolve to plant 50,000 saplings and stressed that the protection and survival of planted trees are as important as plantation itself. Referring to Uttarakhand’s rich forest cover and the historic contribution of women to environmental conservation, he highlighted the importance of collective responsibility towards protecting nature. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shailendra described Harela as a living symbol of India’s cultural heritage and environmental consciousness. Recalling the contributions of Gaura Devi, Amrita Devi Bishnoi, and the Chipko Movement, he appealed to every citizen to plant and nurture at least three trees as a commitment to preserving natural resources.
In his welcome address, Dr Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, Vice-Chancellor, said that Pantnagar University, the birthplace of India’s Green Revolution, continues to lead the nation in agricultural research, innovation, and farmer-oriented technologies. He highlighted that the recently organised BRain 3.0 conference strengthened alumni engagement and paved the way for several new research and innovation initiatives. He added that the University’s Harela campaign aims to evolve into a people’s movement for environmental conservation through active public participation. On the occasion, the University honoured five distinguished alumni for their outstanding contributions and announced plans to collaborate with them through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on projects related to compressed biogas and bio-refinery facilities, automation in fertigation systems, carbon mapping and carbon credit consultancy, advanced research on ready-to-eat functional food products, and the establishment of an Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Centre. The Governor also felicitated Anoop Maurya with a Certificate of Appreciation and a cash award of Rs 1.25 lakh for his exemplary contribution to dragon fruit cultivation.
Proposing the vote of thanks, Dr Amit Bhatnagar, General Manager (Operation Farm), informed that the State Bank of India, Pantnagar Branch, had extended financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh for the procurement of saplings and had provided 500 tree guards to ensure their protection.
The programme was attended by the University’s Registrar, Comptroller, Deans, Directors, officers, faculty members, staff, students, farmers, alumni, and representatives of various social organisations.
