Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Green Vigil Foundation (GVF) observed Earth Hour on 28th March from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., marking the 20th anniversary of Earth Hour, in line with this year’s theme, “Give an Hour for Earth,” at World Trade Center, Sitabuldi, along with participation from various shops across Sitabuldi, Nagpur.
Earth Hour is a global environmental movement organized by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). It is observed annually to encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to switch off non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., as a symbolic gesture of commitment towards the planet. The initiative began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 as a lights-off event and has since grown into a worldwide movement observed in over 190 countries.
Inspired by the concept of Earth Hour, the then Mayor of Nagpur, Shri Anil Sole, had initiated the “Poornima Diwas” campaign, which has been jointly conducted by Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Green Vigil Foundation on every Poornima since 2014.
During the campaign, members of Green Vigil Foundation engaged with shopkeepers, citizens, and various stakeholder groups to spread awareness on climate change, global warming, climate action, energy conservation, transition to renewable energy sources, adoption of low-carbon lifestyles, and sustainable living practices. As part of the Earth Hour initiative, electrical consumption at the World Trade Center was reduced by approximately 70 percent. The team of World Trade Center and the Sitabuldi Merchant Association actively supported and participated in the campaign.
Members of Green Vigil Foundation, including Kaustav Chatterjee, Surbhi Jaiswal, Mehul Kosurkar, Sheetal Choudhary, Shriya Jogey, Priya Yadav, Pinaki Banik, Parth Jumde, Pratik Isampelliwar, Janhavi Paraskar, Chandraprakash Samala, Kshitij Kushwaha, Viplav Bhagat along with staff of the Electrical Department of NMC, contributed significantly towards the successful execution of the campaign.
