CYCLE RALLY HELD TO MARK INDEPENDENCE DAY FOCUSES ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH ISSUES

CYCLE RALLY HELD

Chandigarh, August 16: With a view to propagate the message of environment conservation enshrined in our constitution besides creating awareness about environmental & health-related issues and seek people`s participation to keep their surroundings clean & green, a cycle rally was organized by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), Punjab under Mission Tandrust Punjab on the occasion of Independence Day.

The event was organized in collaboration with the Jugni Cultural and Youth Welfare Club, SAS Nagar affiliated with Folklore Fraternity Federation Punjab. More than 150 environmental & health enthusiastic from Tricity participated in the rally.

Flagging off the rally and also participating in it, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gurinder Singh Sodhi highlighted the importance being given to the mission activities so that the environment of Punjab can become healthy. He also shared the vision of Chief Minister Punjab for making Punjab as the healthiest state in the country.

The cycle rally started from Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh and after covering a distance of about 25 km culminated at  Fateh Burj at Chappar Chiri, SAS Nagar. The cyclist were carrying replicas of Indian Flag on their bicycles. The participants were uniformly dressed with T-Shirts provided by the organizers on which logo of Mission Tandrust Punjab and the ten sub-missions under the Mission Tandrust Punjab were printed in multicolours.

On this occasion, a cultural program was also organized by Jugni Cultural and Youth Welfare Club, SAS Nagar during which besides play & skit on abatement of pollution & greening, Punjabi folk songs, Bhangra and Gatka performances were presented. A tree plantation activity was also taken at the end of rally and a saplings of native tree species were also were provided free of cost to all participants by Forest Department.

Speaking on the occasion, Director, Environment and Climate Chand and Chief Executive Officer, Mission Tandrust Punjab Saurabh Gupta addressing the participants at Fateh Burj Complex, Chappar Chirri, said that the Revamped Mission Tandrust Punjab was launched by the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on 5^th June, 2021 on the occasion of World Environment Day. He further divulged that the activities of revamped Mission are being carried out through 10 Sub-Missions, which are spearheaded by the Lead Departments. He also shared various features of Mission Tandrust Punjab and exhorted the people to download a mobile app ‘Tandrust Punjab’.

On the occasion, Principal Scientific Officer-cum-Nodal Officer, Mission Tandrust Punjab Gurharminder Singh pointed that the government alone can never make a clean and healthy environment without the cooperation of its people. He also emphasized that the preservation of ecology, environment, and forest is a function not only for the state but also of every individual.

The President, Jugni Cultural and Youth Welfare Club Devinder Singh, thanked Department of Environment and Climate Change and Society for Mission Tandrust Punjab for supporting them in organising the event.  The participants took a pledge to contribute to environment conservation & pollution control activities. The event was concluded by releasing tricolour balloons in the sky.