The World Environment Day-2018 campaign started at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) here on the weekend. Speaking on the occasion, the institute director Savita said that the World Environment Day is a platform for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of environment. She said, “Everyone should contribute something to take care of the environment. That something can start from our own premises, public parks, roads and may, further, lead to local, national or global campaigns for healthy environment.”
Referring to the theme of this year’s World Environment Day on beating plastic pollution she said that the main reason behind the popularity of polythene bags is their easy availability in the market. People have become habituated to polythene bags as they are cheap, light and waterproof. However, one has to limit the use of these carry bags to save the environment. Polythenes pollute the environment from the time they get manufactured till their final disposal. Production of these bags involves emission of obnoxious gases causing serious problems to the workers as well as the neighborhood. Keeping these hazards in view, FRI has developed a mechanism to ban polythene entry on its premises, which will be put in place shortly.
She informed that FRI and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) have setup a stall in exhibition at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on the occasion of World Environment Day-2018 celebrations being hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change from June 2 to 5. FRI will also organise a series of activities simultaneously at Dehradun. On the weekend, the employees, students and campus residents undertook a drive to collect the dispose of polythene and other trash.