Students are brand ambassadors of polythene ban campaign: Jammu Mayor

JMC organises debate at Commerce College

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) on Tuesday organised an awareness programme and debate at SPMR College of Commerce to educate the students on ill effects of using polythene carry-bags in routine works.
Jammu Mayor, Rajinder Sharma was Chief Guest on the occasion and each of the participating students talked on the subject for five minutes and said that use of poly-bags causes deadly diseases like cancer besides resulting in deaths and ailments of animals.
They also said that poly-bags also causes blockage in drains and trigger floods.
Other speakers stressed on the use of alternate things like paper bags, bags made of clothes and cellulose-starch etc.
A documentary was also shown to highlight the technology using cellulose and starch to make decomposable carry-bags.
This technology has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Speaking on the occasion, the Mayor said that shopkeepers and other traders shall only use the carry-bags recommended by JMC and avoid other things else they shall be penalised.
He also said that the participating students in today’s programme shall become brand ambassadors of JMC for ban on poly-bags.
Mayor Sharma also released a link which contains appeal to the people of Jammu for making the city polythene free.
“This will be a new initiative in which young generation shall also join the move of polythene ban giving a boost to the move,” he maintained.
The Mayor also said that it is very important to take a decision regarding some objective of public interest and once the decision is taken one has to put all the energies to bring proper results so that the public is benefitted.
Deputy Mayor, Baldev Singh Billawaria, who was the Guest of Honour, while speaking on the occasion talked on environmental hazards caused by poly-bags.
The programme was started by Dr. Nazia Rasool. Dr. Surinder Kumar, Principal of the College also spoke on the occasion. He insisted that the students as stakeholders can play a positive role by coming forward with innovative ideas to reduce the use of plastic.
During the program, a documentary on “Hazards of plastic” was also shown to the students and a debate competition on the topic “Why polythene to be banned” was also organized in which many students participated and expressed their views.
The debate was adjudged by Prof. Barbara Kaul HOD Commerce, Dr. Monika Malhotra, Coordinator IQAC and Prof. Ashu Manhas. Rasik Bali bagged first prize, Simmone Sharma won the second prize and third prize was shared by Manya Gupta and Rasneet Kour.
A pledge was taken by all including JMC teams, faculty and students for not using plastic in future.
A rally was also flagged off by Jammu Mayor, Rajinder Sharma in which students raised slogans like “Say No To Plastic”, “Polythene Hathao Bharat Ko Bachao”, etc to spread awareness among the masses.
The proceedings of the programme were conducted by Prof. Apfan Ali. The programme was coordinated by Dr. Monika Malhotra, Dr. Nazia Rasool and Dr. Deepak Pathania. The faculty members present on the occasion were Prof. Savita Jamwal, Prof. Shafkat Jahangir, Dr. Parveen Singh, Prof. Reeta Menia, Prof. Deepshikha Sharma, Prof. Harpreet Kour, Prof. Shreya Sharma, Dr. Jagmeet Kaur, Prof. Sindhu Kotwal, Prof. Charandeep Handa, Prof. Rishu Mahajan, Dr. Jasvinder Singh, Dr. Vaishali, Malik Aijaz Iqbal and Raman Kumar Sharma. Dr. Sarabjeet Kour Sudan presented the formal vote of thanks.