Amritsar MC promotes trash-free campuses among children

The Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC), in collaboration with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), recently organised a seminar titled “Zero waste schools programme convening: Closing the loop from audit to action” in Amritsar. The event marked the conclusion of the Zero Waste Schools Programme, an initiative aimed at empowering students to transform their school campuses into zero-waste zones through practical waste management solutions.

During the seminar, key findings from detailed waste audits and knowledge, and attitude and practices (KAP) surveys conducted across 10 participating schools were shared. The programme highlighted how structured audits and student-led action plans contributed to measurable improvements in waste segregation and management practices at the school level.

The event was presided over by Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia. Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill Surinder Singh, non-government organisations, students and teachers from eight participating schools, and researchers from the CEEW were among the attendees of the event.

The civic administration lauded the schools concerned for taking part in the first phase of the programme.

Participating schools presented their school-level waste management action plans, developed on the basis of audit findings.

Addressing the gathering, the Mayor said children possessed immense potential to bring about behavioural change in society. Public awareness and active citizen participation were key to making the city cleaner, he added, saying the civic body remained committed to strengthening systems for waste collection, processing and disposal of legacy waste.

The programme created a shared platform of responsibility for schools and students, he added.

The Municipal Commissioner described waste management as a daily administrative challenge, emphasising the individual responsibility of citizens.

He congratulated the CEEW and the participating schools for initiating meaningful change, and urged more schools to partner with the municipal corporation to implement practical zero-waste solutions.

He added that the programme should be expanded to neighbourhoods, with students taking responsibility for their localities, and assured full administrative support in this regard.

CEEW Programme Associate Adeel Khan presented the outcomes of the programme, saying it was designed by students, and for students.

He added that the initiative aimed to enable children to drive change starting from their own campuses.

He said activities such as waste audits, assignments and school action plans resulted in noticeable improvement in students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, and demonstrated the potential for scaling the pilot programme across Punjab, and other parts of the country.