PHAGWARA: In a significant step toward environmental sustainability, the Municipal Corporation Phagwara marked World Environment Day with a city-wide plastic clean-up initiative, led by Mayor Rampal Uppal and supported by Commissioner Dr. Akshita Gupta. The drive was conducted under the Punjab government’s “Mera Ward Meri Shaan” campaign and echoed this year’s global theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution.”
The event began with an early morning clean-up operation at Varindra Park and Mehli Gate, where Mayor Uppal, Assistant Commissioner Anish Bansal, and municipal staff collected single-use plastic waste including bottles, wrappers, and packaging materials. The effort aimed to promote civic responsibility and raise public awareness about the growing threat of plastic pollution.
“It is our shared duty to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment, ” Mayor Uppal said during the event. “We must all take action, starting in our neighborhoods, to reduce plastic waste and adopt sustainable habits.”
The campaign saw strong youth participation, particularly from students of S.D. Kanya Mahavidyalaya, who held an awareness rally through key market areas and residential neighborhoods. Equipped with banners and handmade placards, the students advocated for the reduction of single-use plastics and encouraged residents to switch to eco-friendly alternatives such as cloth and jute bags.
Municipal officers including Hitesh Sharma, Namdev, Pooja, and Sunita conducted interactive sessions with students, emphasizing the importance of household waste segregation. Citizens were urged to maintain separate bins for wet and dry waste as part of a broader effort to improve waste management practices.
Principal Mamta Kunj of S.D. Kanya Mahavidyalaya welcomed the Mayor and praised the initiative, stating, “Involving students in such meaningful activities not only raises awareness but also instills lifelong habits of environmental stewardship.”