Dehradun, 2nd December 2018, Uttarakhand Police hosted the 3rd edition of the Dehradun Marathon today morning to spread awareness against the use of drugs. Around 20,000 participants ran for the cause. Waste Warriors Society, a Dehradun-based NGO, along with a team of close to a hundred volunteers, came forward to help people understand the importance of waste segregation and to prevent littering.
The marathon was flagged off from Police Line and covered 11 kms of the town which then culminated back at the Police Line Ground’s. Enroute all water stations were manned by Waste Warriors volunteers who informed and assisted runners to throw their cups and peels into separate labelled waste-bins placed along the route.
Dr. Geetika, a participant said “by far, the cleanest marathon I have ever run. The main event began and ended at the Police Line Ground, where a similar setup had been put in place. Waste bins were properly labelled and volunteers ensured that people used the correct one.
A section within the ground was dedicated for waste segregation and Waste Warriors volunteers segregated waste into recyclables and food waste on the spot. With a gathering running into thousands, and a course of 11 kms, it was great to see how all the waste was managed with such enthusiasm by trained volunteers.
Over 130 waste bins were set up along the route. “Waste Warriors intended to set an example for such events in Dehradun and around country as well as to spread the concept of a waste-free race,‘ said Avinash Singh, the COO of Waste Warriors. Saba and Astha, regular volunteers of Waste Warriors, shared how, “all the waste generated at the event was primarily segregated into eight different categories. Further segregation will then be carried out by trained Green Workers at Waste Warriors’ waste segregation facility.”
So here it to more litter-free runs in the country!
