Plastic waste lifted from Jakhu hills

Shimla, June 5

The Department of Environment, Science, Technology and Climate Change (DEST&CC) celebrated World Environment Day at the historic Gaiety Theatre on the theme ‘land restoration, desertification and drought resilience’. The event was held in collaboration with the Himachal Pradesh Council for Science, Technology and Environment (HIMCOSTE) and HP State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB).

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 and on the occasion, a cleaning campaign was undertaken here today. Over one tonne plastic and other waste was collected from the area in the vicinity of Jakhu hills by 300 participants of the DEST&CC, HIMCOSTE, school children and Healing Himalayas.

Around 400 school students took part in an environment rally carried out from five locations of the town — Chhota Shimla, Panchayat Bhawan, Auckland House, Sanjauli and Chaura Maidan — and assembled on the Ridge.

The students of GSSS, Lakkar Bazaar, also performed a skit on environment awareness and a video prepared by the HPSPCB was shown. Chief guest Prabodh Saxena, Chief Secretary, congratulated all participants. He stressed the need to protect the environment and collective efforts to solve the problems related to deforestation, environment pollution and climate change. He advised the participants to make minimum use of plastic.

He also gave away awards for hackathon, best Eco Club of state, state-level painting and slogan-writing competition, Green School Programme, EEP logo competition and environment leadership. He also released the poster, calendar and pamphlet on climate change.