Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday addresses the event organised by Bihar State Pollution Control Board to mark World Environment Day. (Above) Girls take part in a painting competition at Srikrishna Science Centre. Pictures by Jai Prakash

A unit of ITC Limited in Munger and a factory of Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Limited at Patliputra Industrial Area in Patna were rewarded on Wednesday for adopting eco- friendly production measures.

On the occasion of World Environment Day on Wednesday, the two units were given Industrial Pollution Control Award by Bihar State Pollution Control Board at a programme at Indira Gandhi Science Planetarium. The award was started in 2000 but was resumed this year, after it was dropped in 2006. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi was present at the event.

Coca Cola Beverages Private Limited was awarded for water management, prevention of air pollution along with water harvesting measures. The unit was set up in 1972 and has a capacity of producing 24,000 cases soft drink per month, which is distributed in Bihar only.

ITC Limited, set up in 1907 and manufactures cigarettes, was given the award for using cold plasma technique to control emission of stench at its Munger unit.

Tobacco particles become minute and sterilised after they are passed through high voltage, thus reducing their stench. Factory manager R. Shyam Krishnan said the factory is more than a hundred years old and started using the cold plasma technique from 2011.

Modi expressed concern over the issue of pollution and depleting number of trees in the city. “According to the government’s Hariyali Mission, we plan to plant 25 crore saplings till the end of 2017. The trees will be planted in the forests, embankments, road-side, government land and fields,” Modi said.

The state’s deficit power situation and the need to save the environment, however, did not matter much when it came to the streetlights on the Agamkuan Bridge. Most of the streetlights on one side of the bridge has been on for at least 10 days now. The Telegraph found power wasted on World Environment Day too. Picture by Sachin

Based on the theme of World Environment Day, 2013 — Think, Eat, Save — set by United Nation Environment Programme, head of department of environment and management of AN College Ashok Ghosh gave a presentation on wastage of food and its perils.

Ghosh said: “The expanding supply of food chains is responsible for the wastage. Huge amount of food is wasted during production phase in rural areas and in consumption phase in urban areas.” He feels lavish parties, rise in nuclear family, demand of packed food, changing demography and population outburst are leading to food wastage.

Ghosh expressed concern over the 10 per cent to 14 per cent annual increase in the population of the country.

State-based brick kilns — Julie Ply, an ash brick industry in Khagaria, Pawan Kiln in Barh and Soni Enterprises in Koilwar — were given awards for using eco-friendly measures in production by low carbon outlet.

To encourage people for Go Green drive, the government has increased the number of nursery from 64 to 156. Modi said: “In 2012, more than 1 crore plants were sold. If a farmer plants a tree and it crosses three years, he would be paid Rs 35 per tree annually.”

Youth in the city joined the Go Green drive at various events. Notre Dame Academy Yi (Young India) Student Net chapter celebrated the day by participating in a cycle race from Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park to Raj Bhavan.

Shri Krishna Science Centre organised a painting and a fancy dress competition.