The Hon’ble Prime Minister has called upon the nation to begin a campaign, Swachhata Hi Seva, shun single use plastic, from 11th September 2019 to Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October 2019. The main aim of the Swcahhata Hi Seva campaign was to highlight the importance of avoiding the single use plastics and how to control the plastic pollution around the globe.
As a part of the Swcahhata Hi Seva campaign, CIBA scientists has organized swachhata activities at Institute campus, adopted villages and schools by conducting essay writing; elocution, drawing competition, and awareness programmes on plastic pollution, reduce, reuse and recycle of plastics. More than 600 participants, scientists, staff, farmers and school students participated in the various activities.
During awareness programme on 18th September 2019 at CIBA Campus, Dr.K.K.Vijayan, Director, CIBA, Chennai, sensitizes the participants about to shun the usage of single use plastics in our environment viz., office, market place, residential places and also the nearby water bodies. Reduction in use of plastic materials, awareness creation, promoting individuals responsibility and monitoring and implementation of the programmes like “Clean India” are the measures for beating the plastic pollution at school and college local level he suggested. He necessitated the importance of plastic management at local level and coordination between local people, private enterprises and government agencies to prevent the plastic pollution. In addition, means of avoiding Single Use Plastics were also narrated by scientists of CIBA and all were motivated to refrain from use of Single Use Plastics at office premise as well as in their dwelling places and public places.
Awareness programme followed by rallies against the use of single use plastic were taken out by the staff, scholars of CIBA and students from various schools during 17-21st September 2019 . Scientists of CIBA explained various means to shun single-use plastic and a pledge in this regard was administered to the participants through Swachhata Hi Seva activities.
CIBA campus is maintaining as “Plastic Free Zone” since 31st December 2018, and replaced plastic cups, plastic bags, and plastic water bottles with ceramic tea cups, cloth and jute bags and stainless steel water bottles respectively. Institute has distributed stainless steel water bottles to 25 beneficiaries from adopted village, Nammbikkai Nager and Srinivasapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu and plastic collection bin to Chennai High School, Mylapore, as a symbol of implementation of plastic free environment in the coastal areas. Through the various Swachhata Hi Seva activities the participants understood the importance on the call on shun Single Use Plastics and affirmed solemnly on avoidance of Single Use Plastics to make our country greener and plastic free.
