Minister Of State Kiren Rijiju Directs Sports Authority Of India Campuses To Increase Green Cover

New Delhi: Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju has directed all Sports Authority of India (SAI) campuses to increase green cover. In a circular issued to the 12 regional SAI centres, the ministry has asked that saplings of trees and bushes indigenous to the region be planted. The circular said, “It has been directed that saplings of trees and bushes, that are indigenous to a particular region, be planted in all the 12 regional centres of SAI and in all its stadiums. The result of the plantation drive is expected to be two-pronged – that of increasing the green cover in the campuses, as also nurturing local plants that are shade-giving and fruit-bearing. Environment-friendly methods like rainwater harvesting will be used for the upkeep of the green cover.”

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The circular also said that waste management systems should be optimised at all SAI centres. It said,

Garbage will be segregated at source on the basis of biodegradable and non-degradable garbage and special areas will be designated for biodegradable garbage so that it can later be used as compost for the plants on campus. Special awareness workshops will also be organized for athletes training and living at the regional centres to inculcate the principles of Swachh Bharat, as also to align them with the “Clean and Green” mission undertaken by the Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The new initiatives come in the wake of the pledge taken by Kiren Rijiju on World Environment Day this year, to create cleaner and greener SAI campuses all over the country.

Sharing about Mr. Rijiju’s initiatives, SAI said, “Sports Minister took a step towards creating a greener earth by planting saplings of the Ashoka tree at JLN (Jawahar LaL Nehru) Stadium. The minister promised that more trees will be planted in all stadiums and training centres to make them environment-friendly.”

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NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.