By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 2 Sep: After successful completion of the ‘Plastic Wapsi Abhiyaan-I’ at Government Girls’ Junior High School, Khurbura, Dehradun Smart City Limited (DSCL) decided to roll out phase two of the abhiyaan against single-use plastic in more than 20 schools in ten wards of Dehradun. The campaign aims to cover more than 5000 students, make them aware and help them beat plastic pollution. The Abhiyaan is being executed by DSCL along with Dehradun based environmental action and advocacy group, Gati Foundation. The campaign is based on Gandhian thoughts dealing with cleanliness and sanitation. The campaign will end on 2 October, which marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Under the programme, the teaching staff of participating schools attended the launch event and orientation session held today at GGIC Rajpur Road. Mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’, and Dr Ashish Shrivastava, CEO, Dehradun Smart City Limited, inaugurated the campaign. Abhiyaan kits (containing banners, plastic waste collection bags, formats and checklists) were distributed to the representatives of each school. A detailed orientation session was conducted for the teaching staff. Teachers were also briefed about the larger objectives and national scenario pertaining to Plastic Waste Management in India. A session also discussed the Indian Institute of Petroleum’s (IIP) pioneering and revolutionary project of converting plastic waste to fuel. The plastic waste collected from the schools will be handed over to IIP for its scientific disposal. IIP’s plastic waste to fuel plant can convert 1000 kgs of plastic waste to 800 litres of diesel or 700 litres of petrol (BS-VI quality). The event was conducted in a plastic-free manner. A fabric banner was used in the backdrop. Plastic bottles and any types of disposables were completely avoided at the event. “This is not just a campaign, it’s a mission. Dehradun is ready to give up on single-use plastic and we are aligning with the vision of our Prime Minister. Dehradun Municipal Corporation is already fighting the menace of plastic pollution. This campaign will further strengthen our efforts to tackle the problem. I wish students and teachers all the best and hope they contribute positively to this campaign,” said Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama. “We are really delighted to launch the second phase of the campaign with more than 20 schools this time. The campaign has the capability to enlighten students on the ill-effects of using single-use plastic items. Top students and schools will be awarded on 2 October. We aim to introduce the campaign in the whole of Dehradun,” added Dr Ashish Shrivastava.
