Odisha’s largest climate clock assembly held at KIIT with call for urgent climate action

Bhubaneswar: The KIIT School of Mechanical Engineering in association with the Energy Swaraj Foundation organised the largest climate clock assembly and display event on Friday.

Addressing the event as Chief Guest, Founder of Energy Swaraj, environmentalist Prof. Chetan Singh Solanki, highlighted three-step principles to give up the use of conventional and carbon-based energy for solar energy and make judicious and efficient use of energy. They are ‘avoid’, ‘minimise’ and ‘generate’ for conservation and efficient use of energy.

Solanki’s message revolved around three key principles to combat climate change: the right energy source (solar power), efficient energy use, and responsible timing of energy consumption. He encouraged people to adopt energy-efficient practices, such as using LED lights, and to minimize their energy consumption

Solanki, who is a faculty at IIT Bombay, underscored the urgency of climate change and stressed that climate change is no longer a distant threat but an immediate reality, with an alarming 500 per cent increase in the frequency of such events. He encouraged people to adopt energy-efficient practices, such as using LED lights, and to minimize their energy consumption.

The Founder of KIIT and KISS Dr Achyuta Samanta, applauded Prof Solanki’s initiative and highlighted the gravity of the climate change threat, emphasizing the need to act swiftly before reaching a point of no return. When the world can come out of the dreaded Covid pandemic, it will also overcome climate change. “We have to set nature correct. If we don’t act now we might not reach a point of no return”, he added.

Climate Change is no more a distant threat, it is the present reality and the world is witness to rising sea levels, intensified storms, melting ice caps, rampant forest fires, floods, late monsoons, and unpredictable weather, he said.

KIIT DU VC Prof Saranjit Singh and Registrar J R Mohanty highlighted the green initiatives of Dr. Achyuta Samanta and how KIIT & KISS have generated 5 million watts of solar energy and planted one lakh trees as part of its sustainable energy initiatives.