By Jampa Dolma
Dharamsala, June 05: The world Environment Day (WED) is being observed here with the local Tibetan Welfare Office ((TWO), initiating “Clean Upper Dharamsala” programme from morning 09:00 to 12:00pm.
The TWO had approached Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA), both the Indian and Tibetan shop welfare associations, local taxi and auto unions, Gu-Chu-Sum, and the major monasteries and nunneries in the area to participate in the cleaning drive.
Jogibara road, Main Temple road, Bhagsu road, Mountaineering road and TIPA road and Cantonment road (Forsythe Ganj area are the five main areas of focus. The cleaning drive these places will be done under the supervision of Mr Chomphel, Mr Tashi, Mr Palden Nyendak and Tsering Norbu.
TWO started a recycling program called “Clean Upper Dharamsala” in 1994. From collecting solid wastes from door to door once a week to begin with to thrice a week at present, TWO has done its part to keep McLeodganj clean and tidy. Besides, the programme collects wet wastes (mainly waste food materials) on daily basis by a team of trained Green workers.
“The result has, so far, been more than satisfactory with strong cooperation from the masses,” says Mr Namgyal, Head of TWO’s Environment Section. “The environmental awareness that we have been creating and the popular banning of plastic bags in Dharamsala have proved very successful,” he adds.
McLeodGanj in Upper Dharamsala is a small hill station largely populated by Tibetan refugees. Exiled Tibetan leader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile are based here.
Every 5th of June is a day used by the United Nations to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues and encourages political action.
WED was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972. WED is hosted every year by a different city and commemorated with an international exposition through the week of June 5. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also created in 1972, uses WED to stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and corrective public action.
The topic for WED 2007 is “Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?” During International Polar Year, WED 2007 focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, on other ice- and snow-covered areas of the world, and the resulting global impacts.
The main international celebrations of the WED 2007 will be held in the City of Tromsø, Norway, a city north of the Arctic Circle self-styled as “The Gateway to the Arctic”. The UNEP statement on WED 2007 states:
The day’s agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership, which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. World Environment Day is a people’s event with colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree planting, as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns.
For WED 2006, the topic was Deserts and Deserticification and the slogan used for it was “Don’t desert drylands”.
Additional reporting by Phurbu Thinley
