NEW DELHI: World Environment Day is the UN’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. India was the global host of 2018 World Environment Day which was observed on June 5, 2018.
With Beat Plastic Pollution as the theme for this year’s edition, the world came together to combat single-use plastic pollution.
AROH Foundation, being the front-runner for social causes, celebrated environment day at its project locations spread across more than 200 villages of 18 states of India. Various relevant community-based activities like rallies and cleanliness drives were taken up by the beneficiaries of far-flung villages from Meghalaya to Chhattisgarh.
Community-led sanitation and cleanliness drives not only spread awareness amongst the villagers but also effectively cleaned the lanes, ponds and water bodies of the villages.
School children enthusiastically participated in various events like painting competition, oratory, and essay writing, organised by the project teams. Some school children performed plays and acts on harmful effects of the plastics on environment and the planet and pleaded with the community to use environment friendly degradable items and say no to single-use plastics. People were made aware and motivated to take an oath to stop using such plastics.
Dr. Neelam Gupta, Founder and CEO of AROH Foundation, said on the occasion, “our world is swamped by harmful plastic waste. Every year, more than 8 million ton of such refuge ends up in the oceans. Micro-plastics in the seas now outnumber stars in our galaxy. From remote islands to the Artic, nowhere is untouched. If present trends continue, by 2050 our oceans will have more plastic than fish. It is our prime duty to save the planet for our children. Saying NO to single-use plastic by all will go a long way in creating better environment on the earth and saving our planet from further degradation”.
AROH Foundation has been actively engaged in shaping the minds of the future through its various programmes of Education and Skill Development and transforming lives through rural development programs leading to community empowerment and sustainability in various states across the country.
