Cleanliness and Plastic Collection Drive On the occasion of World Environment Day 2024

In commemoration of the upcoming World Environment Day 2024 on June 5, the Wildlife Institute of India under it’s National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) funded, “Ganga and Biodiversity Conservation and Jalaj project”, in collaboration with Dehradun, Uttarakhand based environmental action and advocacy group, Social Development for Communities Foundation, has announced a joint campaign, “Flowing Towards a Plastic-Free Future.”

According to Anoop Nautiyal founder of NGO SDC This campaign will be conducted from 16th May to 20th May 2024 to address plastic pollution in rivers. Over 15 Ganga River tributaries and 63 locations across 7 states namely Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, have strategically been selected for the targeted cleanliness and plastic collection drive.

The drive will be conducted by Ganga Praharis, and members of NMCG, and Jalaj team. Ganga Praharis, a trained cadre of members of local communities, are working towards maintaining the river’s biodiversity by conducting different activities at their respective sites.

This drive focuses on raising awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic on freshwater biodiversity. As part of the effort, approximately 1 kg of plastic waste from each site will be sent to the plastic waste segregation and learning centre of Social Development for Communities Foundation in Dehradun, where the plastic will be segregated and sent for recycling.

This collaborative effort underscores a commitment to sustainable practices and aims to pave the way towards a cleaner, healthier future for our rivers and earth. This campaign will not only create awareness about the harmful impacts of plastic on freshwater biodiversity but also seek to maintain the ecological integrity of rivers and ensure their continuous flow.