On the occasion of World Environment Day on Thursday, Bollywood hunk John Abraham has been awarded an EcoWarrior award in New Delhi.

John received this award for his work towards creating India's first elephant village in Maharashtra

The EcoWarrior awards were given out as gratitude and to respect the crusaders who worked towards the cause of environment.

John said, “These awards create awareness about what people do at their level for the environment. Everything starts at a micro level and one has to take it at a macro level.”

John has been working with grass root communities for making habitat for the wellbeing of animals. His devotion towards elephants has served several of these wild animals go back to their natural home.

Out of 15 real life champions creating awareness for environmental conservation, John was the only one from Bollywood industry.

“There are awardees from every field. They are the real heroes who have gone ahead and done great things for the environment,” John said.

Vice President of India Hamid Ansari presented the awards to the noted environment conservers at a function organized by Earth Matters Foundation, a brainchild of environmentalist filmmaker Mike Pandey.

The list of awardees creating awareness for environmental conservation include - Suraj Mewara, Barmer, Rajasthan; Sonia Ghosh, Delhi; Monali Manohar Warwade, Bandrapur, Maharashtra; Madhu Bhatanagar, Delhi; Abdul Wadud Banatwala, Junagadh, Gujarat; G.V.Reddy (IFS Officer); Chewang Norphel (Glacier Man), Leh, Ladakh; M.Y.Yoganathan, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu; John Abraham, Mumbai, Maharashtra; Tilak Vij, Delhi; Dr. D.N.Chaudhary and Rahul Rohitashwa, Bhagalpur, Bihar; Dr. Madhu Lal Valliate, Jaipur, Rajasthan; Komal Parekh and Mahesh Parekh, Durg, Chhatishgarh and Brahmanand Pandey, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.