Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK): A grand seminar on due role of society and other stake holders to ensure absolutely pollution-free environment Sunday unanimously emphasized for the individual and collective role of the people of all segments of the society and other concerned institutions including the NGOs and public sector functionaries to achieve the task in line with the set targets.
The seminar was hosted by the Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA) of AJK Government at Govt High School in Barnala town in Bhimber district as part of awareness campaign against use of conventional plastic bags.
AJK Minister for Higher Education Col (Retd) Waqar Ahmed Noor chaired the ceremony attended by a large number of the elders representing segments of the society including students, teachers and the environmental experts. Including Raja M. Razzaq Secretary Director General EPA-AJK and Secretary Population Welfare Department, Dr. Aurangzeb Chief Conservator AJK Forcests, Prof Engr. Muhammad Waris Jirraal, Registrar MUST Varsity Mirpur, Raja Arslan Nusrat, CEO Muslim Hands, Sardar Khalid Mahmood Khan Deputy Commissioner & Mirza Zahid SSP Bhimber, academicians, traders, members of the legal fraternity and media.
Speaking on this occasion AJK minister Col. (Retd) Waqar Ahmed Noor appreciated the role of EPA-AJK for its concerted move for getting converted the use of shopping bags from conventional non degradable to scientifically approved version. He assured all possible assistance of the State government to take all stringent measures to safeguard the pristine environment of AJK.
He emphasized upon all segments of the civil society including the business community to play their due role to secure early abandon of non degradable bags and adopting environment friendly bags.
Addressing the seminar the EPA, AJK chief and the Secretary Population Welfare of the State Raja Razzaq Secretary
emphasized to abandon the use of conventional plastic bags as it entails serious environmental challenges both for human life and biodiversity.
Razaq highlighted the prime objectives of holding of the seminar by his organization to raise awareness among the masses for ensuring their due role to assist the concerned public-sector functionaries for ensuring the pollution-free environment in all form.
Dr. Aurangzeb, AJK CCF, Prof Engr. Waris Registrar MUST Mirpur, Raja Arslan Nusrat, CEO Muslim Hands, DC Bhimber Sardar Khalid Mahmood Khan, SSP Bhimber Mirza Zahid, academicians including Abdul Jamil Janjua, President trade union Barnala, also addressed the seminar assuring the performance of the due role of their respective institutions for ensuring the pollution-free environment .
Speakers extremely hailed the EPA AJK for enforcement of the environmental regulation to ensure the emergence of pollution-free environment in the scenic liberated territory.
Earlier, a tree plantation campaign was launched in Bhimbher district with plantation of a saplings by the Minster Higher Education, DG EPA and Secretary Population Welfare Department Raja Razzaq Ahmed Khan and others.
UK-based NGO Muslim Hands, on this occasion selected site for developing an orchard in the wake of the ongoing Spring tree plantation drive in AJK.
Muslim Hands is currently engaged in an intensive campaign for plantation of fruit trees in Mirpur division