Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday (July 6) launched various initiatives to make the annual Amarnath Yatra a zero-landfill pilgrimage. These initiatives of the Rural Development Department include use of cloth bags, yatra anthem for sustainable and responsible tourism, MIS portal and web app for waste process monitoring, an official spokesman said. Mr Sinha said,
Zero-waste pilgrimage is our resolve. Sincere efforts are being made to transform information, education and communication campaign into behavioral change communication and also to create an effective model for solid waste management.
With the help of volunteers, IEC campaign and seamless coordination at four different stages of solid waste management, our aim is to evoke profound responsibility towards environment, protection of natural heritage and the sustainable use of natural assets, he said.
Mr Sinha said,
Swachh Campaign for this year’s Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra signifies government’s commitment to safeguard spiritual, cultural, economic and ecological values.
The Rural Development Department is working in partnership with ‘Swaaha Resource Management’, while the yatra anthem is sung by renowned Bollywood singer Shaan to spread awareness about sanitation and sustainability, the spokesperson said.
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NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
