The annual month-long plantation drive in the Panjab University concluded with the plantation of Royale Palm in the vicinity of Hostel No. 5. During July this year more than 3000 plantlets having medicinal and ornamental flavor were planted at the various corners of the north and south campuses of the University.
The plantation drive is a part of Vice Chancellor Professor RC Sobti’s initiative to sensitize students, faculty and staff on a `healthy way to life’ and to make PU Campus `green and clean’. The mission `green clean and health’ is unique to the universities, and probably first of its kind, which a Vice Chancellor epitomizes with his punctuality and regularity.
Interestingly, unlike previous years, this time Professor Sobti did not make any formal announcement on the start of the mission. In turn, on July 1 he resumed the mission virtually alone and gradually the faculty and the staff started joining him in numbers. Hallmark of this years’ cleanliness drive included inauguration of Ficus Garden at the Panjab University. The Ficus Garden, spread over about 2 acres, has been developed on the wasteland between Mata Gujri Hostel and Laxmibai hostel. Besides, the lane behind Hostel Number 3 and Indian Theater has been developed as vehicle-free `Harit Path’ for the delight of the walkers.
Apart from `greening and cleaning’ the campus, this year a special thrust was also laid on inculcating the spirit of `healthy living`. In July this year, two `walk or run’ mini-marathons were organized; one across the north campus and the other across the south campus. However notable has been the cycle rally `to and fro’ PU campus and Sukhna Lake. In the rally over 100 students, members of the teaching and non-teaching staff participated.