Women activists call for cleaner, greener Amritsar

An all-women social and environmental activists’ group has launched a ‘Cleaner greener Amritsar mission’. The 11-member group has submitted a representation to Reena Gupta, chairperson of Punjab Pollution Control Board, and submitted their suggestions for the 450th year anniversary celebration of the foundation of Amritsar Sahib.

The group has demanded the implementation of ban on single use plastics to make Amritsar plastic-free.

Besides, they have demanded the decommissioning of Bhagtanwala landfill site so that there is a complete prohibition on of even the tiniest spec of garbage as it is only 1,500 m from the Golden Temple.

The sheen of the Golden Temple is being lost due to toxic gases being released from the landfill. Bhagtanwala is right next to the Dana Mandi (grain market).

The 11-member group consists of Samita Kaur from Vatrukh Foundation; Dr Navneet Bhullar from AGAPP; Indu Aurora from Voice of Amritsar; Ripanjot Kaur Bagga, an educationist; Swaranjit Kaur, an environmentalist; Aman Kaur from Water Warriors; Ritu Malhan from The Green Thumb; Pallavi Luthra Kapoor from One Tree Each; Dr Simarpreet Sandhu from OTT Transformative Trust; and Manpreet Khaira and Shweta Mehra from Earthy Instincts.

They have demanded the plantation of 450 orchards. These trees should be of native variety.

“We must remember that when Guru Ram Dass established this area into Amritsar, it had lakes and was full of lush green trees and forests. Everyone in Punjab revers the Sikh Gurus and comes to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple irrespective of their religion. Just as merchants, traders, farmers, artisans, etc., came together to create Amritsar in the guidance of Guru Ram Dass, time has come for us to make it the clean and beautiful Guru Di Nagari,” said Samita Kaur.