World Environment Day 2017: From Planting Trees to Waste Segregation Campaigns, Here’s How India Celebrated World Environment Day

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is of connecting with nature by ensuring clean surroundings and proper management of waste. June 5 saw the launch of a massive initiative where 4,000 cities all over India participated in pledging to segregate waste properly so that the task of recycling and reusing becomes easier and India does not turn into one large dumpsite for garbage. Several cities enthusiastically participated in many activities to send out a message towards the importance of conserving the environment.

While the massive campaign was flagged off in Delhi, by Minister for Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) flagged off mobile compactors and auto tippers to manage waste more effectively. The new vehicles were flagged off my Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who also signed off a signature campaign for waste segregation in two bins. SDMC also launched a signature campaign in Dwarka for waste segregation at source.

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Lucknow Nagar Nigam arranged for an awareness campaign on the essentials of waste segregation where the concept of twin bins was explained in detail. Uttar Pradesh’s poor display so far in all aspects of sanitation and waste management poses a challenge to its deadline of becoming open defecation free by October 2018. Ghaziabad also saw an awareness event where the residents were taught about the importance and methods of waste segregation. Citizens were also given waste bins to help them with segregation. In Varanasi, India’s 32nd cleanest city, tree saplings were distributed by Nagar Nigam officials for citizens to plant, keeping in line with the theme of connecting with nature on the occasion of World Environment Day. In Aligarh, an awareness event was held by the Aligarh Nagar Nigam, educating citizens about the importance of segregating waste in blue and green dustbins. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was present during the event.

In Bihar, officials from Patna Municipal Corporation undertook the Blue Green Pledge and promised to segregate waste at source. In neighbouring Odisha, officials from Cuttack Municipal Corporation conducted an awareness workshop on the importance of waste segregation. Keeping in line with the theme of World Environment Day 2017, the civic body also conducted a tree plantation drive.

Madhya Pradesh, which has consistently done well in terms of cleanliness and waste segregation, was active in launching several pledge campaigns where citizens from different cities of the state pledged to segregate waste for a better environment. A door-to-door waste collection and segregation drive was conducted by the Indore Municipal Corporation, in which vehicles belonging to the civic body collected waste from residences. Indore also saw the participation of Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu, as he planted a peepal tree before beginning the segregation campaign. In Ujjain, a World Environment Day programme was held where the theme ‘Do Bin, Har Din’ (Two Bins, Every Day) was pledged upon by citizens promising to segregate dry and wet waste in two separate bins.

Neighbouring Chhattisgarh was not far behind, where citizens of Durg participated in a waste segregation and collection campaign organised by the Durg Municipal Corporation. Waste collecting tricycles, coloured in green and blue collected waste from residential areas while spreading awareness about segregation and how green and blue bins can be utilised to segregate different types of waste. Several blue and green coloured waste bins were given to residents to help them segregate waste. In Bhilai, the Nagar Nigam held an awareness workshop for all zonal officers where they were briefed on waste segregation and undertook a pledge to do the same.

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Gujarat also saw several of its cities such as Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Rajkot feature among the top 20 cities in this year’s Swachh Survekshan. To improve their performances further in terms of waste segregation and recycling, several cities in Gujarat saw events where officials and residents undertook pledges of segregation and promised to dispose off waste in two separate blue and green bins. The Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani attended an event at Indroda Park in Gandhinagar and pledged to plant 10 crore trees for a greener and cleaner state. Gujarat is also likely to be declared as an open defecation free by August 2017.

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, which was instrumental in ensuring that Navi Mumbai ranked as India’s 8th cleanest city in Swachh Survekshan 2017 arranged for a pledge undertaking session for the civic body’s officials on the occasion of World Environment Day. Earlier in May, the NMMC was awarded for exceptional work in waste segregation. The civic body had provided green and blue dustbins in more than 13,000 residential societies so that waste segregation at source becomes habitual.

Several civic bodies across Southern India marked the occasion of World Environment Day 2017 with waste segregation and pledge undertaking. In Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation officials inaugurated an event marking the occasion of World Environment Day. In Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation brought together municipal workers of the civic body and they took a pledge to segregate waste during collection.

In Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, an awareness campaign on waste segregation was held in several beaches across the city’s coast. The campaign was conducted by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. The civic body also conducted an awareness rally on the essentials of waste segregation which saw the participation of many residents.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation had conducted several buildup drives leading up to World Environment Day. The GHMC kept up with its relentless work towards waste segregation and management and organised for an awareness camp at the historic site of Charminar. The civic body also ensured that its officials took the pledge to segregate and arranged for a door-to-door waste collection and segregation drive where residents were explained about the blue and green bins and asked to undertake a pledge to segregate waste at source. GHMC also arranged for an awareness rally which saw participants on bikes and scooters, going around and spreading the message of a clean environment.

Following Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s call to plant trees on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation arranged for a tree plantation drive. Earlier, the Chief Minister had said in his address that planting trees was the best way to connect with nature. The civic body also organised for a conference where the topic of segregation was spoken about in detail. The GMC also involved school students in undertaking the pledge by conducting a source segregation campaign in several of the city’s schools.

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Even the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were not left behind in spreading the segregation message. The Port Blair Municipal Council arranged for a waste segregation awareness drive and a signature campaign to help the residents understand the importance of Blue and Green dustbins.