Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee today hosted a Commendation ceremony to felicitate volunteers of ‘Plastic Free J&K’ campaign. Chairperson, J & K Pollution Control Committee, Dr. Neelu Gera presided over the ceremony held to felicitate volunteer participation of Industrial units under CSR, social activists, Producer Responsibility Organization (IPCA) and NGOs, viz., Disha organization and Live for others for their active participation during the Campaign on “Plastic Free J&K” conducted from June 4 to June 25, 2022 on the eve of World Environment Day.
As a part of Government of J&K’s initiative towards Plastic Free J&K, JKPCC initiated a mass awareness campaign across the Districts of Jammu, viz., Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Reasi covering different locations including Vegetable and Fruit Markets, Gated Communities and Commercial areas, under the supervision of Chairperson, JKPCC, Dr. Neelu Gera, Member Secretary, JKPCC, M. K. Kumar, and Sat Paul, Regional Director, JKPCC, Jammu. The campaign was aimed at cleanliness drives and distribution of cloth bags as a weekend endeavour for one month. Approx. 40 kg of plastic waste was collected at Rajouri and Poonch during cleanliness drive.
The felicitation ceremony was attended by K. Ramesh Kumar, Member Secretary, J&K Pollution Control Committee; Sat Paul, Regional Director JKPCC, Jammu; Divisional Officers, JKPCC, Jammu (North & South), Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Ramban and Reasi, Anuradha; Scientist, JKPCC, Jammu and representative from IPCA (PRO), Swaran Singh Rathore (Social Activist), Udhampur, Berger Paints India Ltd., SIDCO, Samba, Indrashil Kaka-Ba and Kala Budh Public Charitable Trust, Coromandel International Ltd., Bari Brahmna, SharpSight Hospital, Trikuta Agro Products Pvt. Ltd., Katra, Mehr Cements Pvt. Ltd., Akhnoor, Sutlej textiles and industries limited and Aneja Food Products, Kathua.
Dr. Neelu Gera, Chairperson JKPCC, Jammu appreciated the efforts put in by Divisional Officers, JKPCC, Jammu, Kathua, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Samba in organizing this mass awareness campaign, as an effort towards plastic free J&K.
She emphasized the need to adopt eco-friendly and biodegradable products and avoid use of single use plastics to save our planet from further degradation and appealed to the general public and youth to be part of this campaign in large numbers to make J&K clean and green.
K. Ramesh Kumar expressed deep gratitude towards volunteers for their active contribution in making this campaign a huge success, with distribution of approx. 7000 cloth bags among the general public to create awareness towards the need to adopt alternatives to plastics, to ensure sustainable living.
The felicitation ceremony ended on a positive note from participants to join hands with JKPCC in future campaigns to be organized by it for social and the environmental cause, while expressing their pleasure to be part of this campaign.