In an interesting move, a Madhya Pradesh university has levied an ‘Oxygen Tax’ on those who use the campus for walks in the morning and the evening.

The Vikram University has estimated that around 5,000 locals roam around in the campus daily. Vice-Chancellor Akhilesh Kumar Pandey has decided to put these health-conscious people under a unique tax.

We are planning to expand the green base on the 300-acre campus in accordance with the number of users, said the Vice-Chancellor. He explained that a single person inhales 5 to 7 litres of air with 20% oxygen concentration per minute and by this calculation, every person inhales 550 litres of air and a single plant produces around 750 litres of oxygen per day.

Around 4,000-5,000 locals visit the campus per day and inhale large amounts of oxygen so it’s their duty to pay back, he added.

The VC claimed that the university will make every walker plant a sapling in the campus premises and take care of it until its gains adulthood. While every student enrolling in the university will also require to plant five samplings, each. Students will have to take care of the plants till the time they complete their studies and will also receive some marks for their environmental contribution, added Pandey.

Once any particular student completes the course, he/she can assign someone to take care of their plants. This will be treated as a project. Students and visitors will click selfies with the plants which will be kept in records.

The initiative is aimed at enhancing natural oxygen production, claimed the Vice-Chancellor.

“In covid19 times, we have understood the importance of oxygen and people now need to understand the concept natural oxygen industry. And this will reduce the dependence on the artificial oxygen industry which was under immense pressure during covid19,” said Pandey.

This will automatically turn the campus into a green zone, claimed the Vice-chancellor saying the move is also aimed at making people understand the importance of greenery and oxygen.

— With Inputs Anand Nigam

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