‘Green Neighbourhood’ campaign launched for improved environment

Rawalpindi : Youth from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad consolidated ‘Green Neighbourhood’ initiative here Friday in a virtual consultative meeting of the Islamabad Devcom Centennial Leo Club (IDCLC).

The objective of the initiative is to engage young people and their families and friends to add value to the ongoing campaigns of clean and green cities.

Speaking about the concept of ‘Green Neighbourhood’, the IDCLC president Haares Munir said, Green Neighbourhood means that the young citizens and their families and friends would be engaged to take care of their neighbourhood by keeping it clean from littering, domestic solid waste and flowing out sewage. The clean part of the initiative also includes personal hygiene including regular hand washing and safe water and sanitation messages.

Haares Munir said that the second part of the initiative is to engage the citizens of all ages to make their own neighbourhood green by protecting the green cover around them and add more sustainable plantation of saplings.

Streets and the neighbourhood area that meets the needs of peoples’ daily activities and allows communities to control pollution and water abuse, and to promote energy conservation and developing neighbourhood bonding to improve social security. It would surely improve natural and social environment.

Environmentalist Mome Saleem appreciated youth for chalking out a citizens’ centric initiative to improve local environment. Every citizen needs to contribute to clean up the surroundings and to enhance environmental conditions.

She said different parts of Rawalpindi especially needs citizens interventions to keep in clean and green.

The local youth could play a pivotal role in it. She also educated the participants of the consultation on the advocacy skills to broadly engage the citizens in clean and green initiatives voluntarily.

Shanzay Ahmad said Citizens are doing good in Islamabad, the IDCLC volunteers shall focus on the congested areas in Rawalpindi where littering, domestic waste management and garbage collection are the main issues.

Saalis Ahmad asked for a green portal where buyers and seller of plats and seeds could interact and facilitate each other. He suggested different communication means to send the message across to the local stakeholders.

Khadija Bakhtawari highlighted the importance of recycling of different waste materials and to use them in different ways in daily life. She also put up the idea of taking care of birds by feeding them and arranging water pots for the birds and stray animals.