On World Environment Day, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Launched Pollution Abating Plants Abhiyan

New Delhi: On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jairam Thakur launched an initiative ‘Pollution Abating Plants Abhiyan’ (PAPA) to protect the environment by growing air-purifying plants in the state. While launching the initiative, the Chief Minister said that the World Environment Day is not just a ceremonial occasion but an awakening call for individuals to take charge of protecting the environment.  Chief Minister Jairam Thakur also took to Twitter to urge people to come forward and do their bit for protecting the environment, while making them aware of the hazards of single-use plastics.

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“I appeal to my public that instead of thermocol plates, use a leaf plate or other sustainable alternatives to plastic. Their prices are also low and are eco-friendly too. This will also encourage small industries to create plates of leaves,” he said.

The government of Himachal Pradesh, which imposed a ban on the use of plastic bags in 2003, is now working to sensitise both the locals and tourists to discard the use of plastic bags and opt for eco-friendly jute or paper bags.

Also Read: India Vows To Eliminate Single-Use Plastic By 2022 On World Environment Day

Ahead of 45th World Environment Day, the Department of Environment, Science and Technology, Shimla launched a state wide week-long ‘Polythene Hatao, Paryavaran Bachao’ campaign to beat plastic pollution on May 27. According to D C Rana, Director, Department of Environment, Science and Technology, the focus of the campaign was to collect plastic waste from both urban and rural areas and use it to produce energy, while sensitising people about the harmful effects of plastic waste pollution.

https://twitter.com/jairamthakurbjp/status/1003882023415472130

On World Environment Day, we decided to ban thermocol cup and plates etc. in Himachal Pradesh. Children should not use plastic bottles, for this, under the state government’s uniform scheme named Mukhiya Mantri Vardi Yojana; children of government schools will be given bottles of steel, the Chief Minister added. He even urged the parents to buy steel bottles for their children instead of plastic bottles to help in environment conservation.

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Talking about the ongoing water crisis in Shimla, the Chief Minister said:

Pollution and degradation of water catchment areas were the main reasons behind the problem.

Urging the students to come forward for environmental conservation, he said 67.5 percent area of the state was covered with forests, but still a lot more needed to be done.

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To ensure that the collected waste does not end up in some or the other landfill or pollute some other region, the chief minister said that the government would set up a total of 10 solid waste management plants in different parts of the state for scientific management of waste, while the polythene shedder machines would be provided for Sundernagar and Ghumarwin towns. According to the government officials, the state has installed ‘waste to energy’ plants – one in Shimla, which is functional, other two in Kullu and Baddi.

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