By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 20 Sep: Observing World Cleanup Day on 19 and 20 September, while not letting the Covid-19 pandemic bring down the spirit of environment conservation, student activist group Making a Difference by Being a Difference (MAD) conducted clean-up drives near Shikhar Falls, the upper catchment area of Rispana River in Doon Valley.
The cleanup drives were carried out wearing masks, ensuring social distancing and following the safety guidelines mandated by the government during the coronavirus outbreak. A team of only 5 members participated in the activity on both days.
MAD has been actively raising its voice against the encroachment and endless construction in the Shikhar Fall area including the set up of numerous Maggi points. MAD has been continuously pursuing the objective of declaring the area a no construction zone, since it hampers the natural habitat.
After an hour-long clean up of the area, the main pollutants and litter gathered were plastic bags of wafers and Maggi along with plastic bottles and soft drink cans that eventually clog the flow of the Rispana River. The waste was then properly disposed of, taking care of all the cleanliness and sanitisation measures.
MAD members also conducted a live video session on Facebook through which they highlighted the importance of proper disposal of Solid Waste and discussed the challenges faced by Dehradun in this context. The live video was joined by MAD’s Founder Abhijay Negi, Satvik Nijhon, Chetna Bhatt, and Karan Kapoor. Members present at the clean up drives were Archie Bisht, Inder, Ashutosh, Rahul Guru, Saurabh Dandriyal, Shardul, Shubham, Ahraz and Ayushi.
