The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) will commemorate World Environment Day (WED) today (Sunday) to create awareness about the use of natural resources and protecting the environment.
The theme of this year’s WED is “Forest: Nature at your service”. The WED is being commemorated since 1972 and has grown to become the one of the main occasions through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of environment and encourages political attention and action.
The EPD will organise a seminar on Monday at the Alhamra Arts Council, The Mall. Punjab Environment Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana will grace the occasion as chief guest while Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Dr Shagufta Shahjahan will deliver the welcome address.
Various professors and experts including Dr Aleem Chaudhry, former Punjab Forest Department director general, Shahid Awan, Punjab Forest Department deputy secretary, Ghazala Naseem of the Punjab University (PU) Institute of Mycology and Plant Pathology and Gulzar Beghum Butt, Punjab Environmental Tribunal member will give their presentations on the WED’s theme.
Students from various educational institutions including PU, UET, Kinnaird College, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) and people from various walks of life will also attend the seminar.
Hotiana has already initiated the Murree Cleanliness Campaign, which started on May 30 and concludes on June 5.
The campaign includes cleanliness of roads and drains and installation of dust bins, which are made of recycled plastic waste.
Walks will be organised daily for creating awareness among people to visit Murree and instructions will be given to the Rawalpindi district officer (DO), executive district officers (EDO) Health and town municipal administrations (TMA) to maintain cleanliness of hill stations and also send notices to 150 hotels under Section 16 of the environment act.
Lahore, Murree and Gujranwala will be the venues for this year’s global celebrations of environment and other activities to inspire people around the province to take action for the environment.
