Dateline Dehradun: On the occasion of completing the first year of the Plastic Bank Project, initiated by the Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, an environmental action and advocacy group based in Dehradun, a Plastic Waste Management and Awareness program was held at the Foundation’s Plastic Waste Segregation and Learning Center in Mehuwala, Dehradun.
The event focused on discussing methods of managing plastic waste, understanding its environmental impacts, and taking potential steps for its solutions. The program was attended by a large number of officials and staff from various government departments working in the plastic waste sector in Uttarakhand and Dehradun.
Dr. Sanat Kumar from CSIR-IIP shared insights on the operation of the IIP’s Plastic-to-Diesel Lab Project through the Plastic Bank Project and the collaboration with SDC Foundation.
Dr. Ankur Kansal from the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board discussed the environmental impacts of plastic waste and appreciated the significance of the Plastic Bank initiative. He highlighted the joint efforts of the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board and SDC Foundation in the hill areas of the state concerning plastic waste management.
Tajbar Singh Jaggi, Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drug Administration stated that their department would provide SDC Foundation all possible assistance to spread the Plastic Bank Project in the state’s pharmacy industry.
Rajesh Bahuguna, Sanitation Inspector of Dehradun Municipal Corporation, addressed the gathering and mentioned that the Municipal Corporation and SDC Foundation would jointly set up more plastic banks in the municipal areas in Dehradun.
Ganesh Kandwal, Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration and Dr. Neeraj Atrey from CSIR-IIP jointly provided detailed information on the Repurposed Use Cooking Oil (RUCO) mission.
During the program, Dr. Pariva Dobriyal from WII, Ajay Dabral from Mandi Parishad, Narendra Kumar from Dehradun Cantonment Board, Nidhi Thapliyal from the Horticulture Department, Tribhuvan Sanwal, Sanitation Inspector from the Indian Army, and Dr. Bopanna from WWF also shared their thoughts.
Anoop Nautiyal of SDC Foundation expressed gratitude to all the attendees and shared detailed information about the Plastic Bank Project. He shared insights about the gradual progress of the project and its social and environmental benefits. He further stated that their goal is to collectively move towards cleaner and sustainable development in Uttarakhand.
The program was conducted by SDC’s Prerna Raturi and Dinesh Chandra. The event saw the presence of Akhilesh Verma, Ayush Joshi, Pyare Lal, Praveen Upreti, Abhishek Bhatt, Pramod, Bittoo, Subhash, Sunil Verma, Lucky Kumar, and many others who were in attendance.
