Mayor leads plastic clean-up drive

The Municipal Corporation of Phagwara launched a city-wide plastic clean-up drive, spearheaded by Mayor Rampal Uppal and supported by Commissioner Dr Akshita Gupta. The initiative was part of the Punjab government’s “Mera Ward Meri Shaan” campaign and resonated with this year’s global theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution.”

The event kicked off with an early morning clean-up operation at Varindra Park and Mehli Gate, where Mayor Uppal, Assistant Commissioner Anish Bansal, and municipal staff worked together to collect single-use plastic waste, including bottles, wrappers and packaging materials. The primary goal of the drive was to foster 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,” said Mayor Uppal during the event. “We must all take action, starting from our neighbourhoods, to reduce plastic waste and adopt sustainable habits.”

The campaign saw enthusiastic participation from local youth, especially students from SD Kanya Mahavidyalaya, who conducted an awareness rally through key market areas and residential neighbourhoods. Carrying banners and handmade placards, the students urged the reduction of single-use plastics and promoted eco-friendly alternatives such as cloth and jute bags.

Municipal officers, including Hitesh Sharma, Namdev, Pooja, and Sunita, also engaged with students in interactive sessions, emphasising the importance of household waste segregation. Citizens were encouraged to maintain separate bins for wet and dry waste as part of broader efforts to improve waste management practices.

Principal Mamta Kunj of SD Kanya Mahavidyalaya welcomed the Mayor and praised the initiative, saying, “Involving students in such meaningful activities not only raises awareness but also instils lifelong habits of environmental stewardship.”

Jalandhar