Launch of ‘WEDNESDAYS FOR WATER & WASTE MANAGEMENT’, at Peace-city Chandigarh, India.

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A UNIQUE INITIATIVE FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS & COLLEGES ‘WEDNESDAYS FOR WATER & WASTE MANAGEMENT’ GETS STARTED AT ANKUR SCHOOL, CHANDIGARH
Chandigarh, November 22: ‘Let us remind ourselves about the only two options available for everyone living on the Earth right now. The first option is to conserve water, work towards Zero percent waste generation and live more. The second option is to let the precious sources of water dry out, get polluted, face starvation and live with diseases due to heaps of waste/garbage around us. Which one will you choose?’ said Dr. Parminder Duggal, Principal of Ankur School, in her welcome address at ‘Wednesdays for Waste & Water Management Campaign’, an initiative launched by Yuvsatta-NGO at Ankur School, Panjab University, Chandigarh
Dr. GS Bhardwaj, IFS, Dy. Director General of Forests (Central), Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, was the Chief Guest on the occasion and prominent amongst those who participated includes Sh. Deepak Dhiman, Channel Head (Haryana, Punjab, Himachal), Zee Media Corporation Limited, Mr. Pramod Sharma, Founder, Yuvsatta and Eco Club Incharge teachers of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Dhanas, Government Girls Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 18C, Government Model Senior Secondary School (NYC), Sector 23A, and Dev Samaj College of Education, Chandigarh.
Explaining the objectives of the programme Mr. Pramod Sharma said as part of their ongoing environmental advocacy and action programmes with Eco Clubs of Schools and Colleges, they at Yuvsatta have started this unique initiative of ‘Wednesdays for Water & Waste Management’ as both waste and water issues have become a global challenge and with active involvement of young students, they plan to spearhead a global movement from Chandigarh with youngsters as torchbearers and agents of change.
Appreciating this unique endeavour and quoting Mahatma Gandhi, the Chief Guest Dr. GS Bhardwaj said that ‘Earth can provide for everybody’s need but not for anyone’s greed’. And following the footsteps of Mahatma, the young students should take this message of water conservation and waste management by following the three R’s of Recycle, Reuse & Refuse to masses at large. He told the students that ever-increasing consumerism, urbanization, and greed of homo-sapiens have become the biggest threat to fragile biodiversity, ecosystem, forests, the plants, birds and animals on mother earth. The recent flashfloods, landslides in nearby Himachal Pradesh are a glaring example of where this greed of man can lead us to. So, it’s expected from all of us to behave in a responsible and environment friendly manner for the survival of the human race.
Addressing the gathering Mr. Deepak Dhiman mentioned the very recent happenings of rivers abundant with water flow around Chandigarh, be it the Panchkula-as this name came from the place where five irrigation canals meet. Panch is five and Kuls means canal, hence the name Panchkula. The canals used to take water from the Ghaggar and distributed it from Nada Sahib to Mansa Devi. But all five-canal vanished because of urbanization. Similarly, he also shared about the Sirsa river and historic battle associated with this river, but this river is dying now due to the industrial pollutants from towns of Baddi, Nalagarh, Barotiwala. He summed up saying that “Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” And added further that they at ZEE MEDIA will always be there to support such causes of global ramifications.
On the occasion students at Ankur School also presented a colourful group dance on the water theme of elixir of life. And fifteen students at the school were declared water and waste heroes for their meritorious essays, poems and posters on water and waste management issues. The eco club incharge teachers of four other schools and colleges where such programmes will be organized in the coming one month on Wednesdays were also honoured by the prominent dignitaries. Later, the programme ended with the national anthem.
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