Volunteers clean up Triund trek

Dharamsala, June 4

Dharamshala Forest Circle’s Chief Conservator of Forests E Vikram flagged off an awareness-cum-cleanliness programme along the Triund trek, which begins at Dharamkot or Gallu temple and ends at Triund hill top.

World environment day

• World Environment Day is celebrated annually the world over on June 5 to encourage awareness and action towards the protection of environment. This year’s theme ‘Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience’ focuses on bringing back healthy land, preventing deserts from growing and dealing with water shortages.

Fifty NSS volunteers led by Vivek Sharma, NSS Programme Officer from CUHP Dharamshala, Waste Warriors and local forest staff participated in the cleanliness drive. According to Vivek the children collected truck loads of plastic bottles scattered all along the route. The event was hosted on the eve of World Environment Day. The theme of World Environment Day 2024 is ‘Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience’. The slogan of this event was ‘Our Land, Our Future’. The participants were briefed about the concept of eco-tourism vis-a-vis environmental cleanliness, since the Triund trek is visited by a large number of eco-tourists and the sustainable landscape management of the area is essential. The objective of the event was to make the participants aware of the concept of eco-tourism, waste management and the importance of conserving the local flora and fauna.

Environment has been an integral part of peoples’ life in Kangra hills. The legacy has been transferred from one generation to the next through songs, dance forms and miniature art. The famous ‘Barahmasa’ series of paintings on seasons showcase the connection between the environment and human settlements in the region.