Gwalior, March 28 (NationPress) In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Earth Hour, WWF India partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to host a series of awareness and outreach initiatives in Gwalior on Saturday, urging citizens to “Give an Hour for Earth”.

These events were part of WWF-India’s Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP), aligning with the nationwide observance of Earth Hour.

The program featured the presence of Nameeta Prasad, Joint Secretary at MoEFCC, and Lipika Roy, Joint Director, alongside participants from the Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) focused on training “Nature Conservators cum Eco-Tourism Guides”.

An exhibition and awareness campaign about Earth Hour took place at The Scindia School, Gwalior, engaging students in discussions about sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.

The activities continued at the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) in Gwalior, attended by Dr. Chandra Shekhar Barua, Assistant Professor of Tourism Studies and Chairman and Placement Officer for the MBA in Tourism and Travel Management.

The observance included a symbolic power outage from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to highlight the importance of energy conservation and climate advocacy.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Earth Hour, the largest grassroots environmental campaign globally. Since its founding in 2007, it has expanded into a worldwide movement across over 190 nations. In India, the initiative has grown from merely switching off lights to encouraging individuals to dedicate an hour to the planet through activities such as clean-up efforts, tree planting, biodiversity walks, cycling initiatives, and sustainability workshops.

The Saturday initiative was further bolstered by Dr. G. Areendran, Director of Tech for Conservation at WWF-India, who emphasized the crucial role of youth involvement and capacity building in environmental protection.

Students from over 15 States and Union Territories actively participated in Earth Hour activities, committing to advocate for sustainable living.

Throughout the nation, GSDP students took part in a coordinated switch-off, reaffirming their dedication to promoting Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) and the Save Energy initiative by adopting responsible habits and minimizing energy use.

Numerous iconic monuments, heritage sites, and government buildings across India joined in this effort, observing a power outage from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in various locations.