Internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik will spearhead the Earth Hour campaign as its brand ambassador in the State. The Earth Hour is set to be observed from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm on March 23.
The campaign would be kicked off with a 28-hour cyclothon from the temple of Lord Jagannath, Puri, at 4.30 pm on March 22. It will culminate at Puri beach at 8.30 pm on March 23. A huge sand sculpture would be created by Sudarshan on the beach.
The sand artist will appeal to the people to come forward voluntarily to join the campaign and do their bit to save power, thereby contributing to the environment.
The one-hour switch off in the State last year is estimated to have saved around 100 MW of power.
This year, the event could save 200 to 300 MW. All Government offices, corporates and civil society have been appealed to join the campaign for saving the Earth from global warming, convenor Nagen Mohapatra said on Thursday. The Earth Hour has grown from a one-city initiative in 2007 to a global phenomenon in 2009 and spread its wings in more and more countries.
Earth Hour-2012 was observed on Saturday March, 31, 2012 from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm where more than 200 crore people in 7001 cities and towns across 152 countries participated.