Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh : On the occasion of World Environment Day, June 5, 2026, the Environment and Tourism Development Committee, Bilaspur, in collaboration with the Chhattisgarh Official Language Council, the Forest Department, and the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board, organized a grand public awareness campaign on climate change and various environmental programs.
The chief guest of the program was MLA Sushant Shukla, MLA from Beltara Assembly constituency, and the program was chaired by Dr. Vinay Kumar Pathak, Vice Chancellor of Thawe University, Gopalganj.
Present at the event were S.D. Bargaiya, IFS, environmentalist, Bilaspur; Dr. Abhilasha Behar, Secretary, Chhattisgarh Official Language Commission, Raipur; Shailendra Singh Kachhwaha, Rameshchandra Srivastava, I.S.S., critic, Bilaspur; Vishnu Kumar Tiwari, senior litterateur; Rajiv Nayan Sharma; Neeraj Ji, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Bilaspur; Rashmi Srivastava, Regional Officer, Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board; Hemant Kumar Gaur, environmentalist; and Sanjay Sharma, Director, DLS College.
At the State-Level Awards Ceremony-2026, personalities and institutions with outstanding and notable contributions in various fields were honored.
In the same vein, Shanti Soni, Senior Lecturer at Government Higher Secondary School, Mahmad, Bilha Block, Bilaspur District, was honored with the prestigious “Paryavaran Mitra Samman-2026” for her outstanding contributions to environmental protection, cleanliness campaigns, cultural preservation, innovation in education, and social service.
This honor symbolizes recognition of her continuous and dedicated efforts to promote environmental awareness, tree planting, cleanliness campaigns, social participation, and fostering environmental consciousness among students. This honor has brought honor to the school, the region, and the entire education world.
Upon receiving the honor, Shanti Soni dedicated this achievement to her students, colleagues, society, and all conscious citizens working for environmental protection. She expressed her resolve to advance public welfare and environmental protection work even more effectively in the future. She also highlighted public awareness campaigns.
On this occasion, Shanti Soni provided information about various public awareness campaigns being conducted in schools and the community, explaining that under her leadership, menstrual hygiene management and awareness signature campaigns, drug de-addiction public awareness campaigns, and water conservation awareness and signature campaigns are being continuously conducted. The objective of these campaigns is to increase awareness among students and the general public about health, social responsibility, and environmental protection.
He said, “Protecting nature is protecting humanity. Environmental protection is not only our responsibility, but also our moral responsibility towards future generations.”