Bhubaneswar: The ‘Punascha Pruthibi’ campaign is no longer confined to Bhubaneswar and has reached villages and panchayats across Odisha, Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said today while addressing the Earth Again Conference 2026 organised by Sambad at Utkal University in Bhubaneswar.

The minister said growing sensitivity towards nature has helped the campaign expand beyond the state capital. He stressed the need for people to change their behaviour and become more conscious about protecting trees and the environment.

“Trees have life,” Suraj said, emphasising that neglecting trees is akin to causing their gradual death. He said people need to understand the importance of caring for trees rather than simply planting them.

To underline the impact of human behaviour on plants, the minister referred to IKEA’s social experiment, ‘Bully a Plant’. As part of the experiment, two identical plants were placed in separate environments, with participants encouraged to speak positively to one plant and bully the other. According to the experiment, the plant subjected to negative treatment gradually became lifeless.

The experiment, he said, offered a message that human behaviour and the way people treat nature can have consequences.

Referring to the changing environmental conditions, the minister said Odisha has witnessed several rounds of flooding this year. He attributed the unavailability of certain fish species in Odisha, including hilsa, to the effects of climate change.

“Some disasters are visible, but we are facing invisible disasters every day,” he said, underlining the need for greater public awareness about the long-term consequences of environmental degradation.

Suraj also said human behaviour and actions are contributing to environmental challenges. He called for a change in people's attitude towards nature and said environmental protection should become part of everyday life.

Invoking Odisha's cultural and spiritual traditions, the minister said people should develop a deeper emotional connection with trees and nature. He referred to Lord Jagannath as the ‘Daru Devata’ and said such a perspective could encourage people to treat trees with greater care and respect.