Clean and Green Punjab drive kicks off

The local government director highlighted Rs100,000 has been allocated for each union council

LAHORE:  

Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Monday, launched ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ campaign across the country as part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s policy to make the country clean and green.

Following the inauguration by the prime minister, several cleanliness events were held in different cities and rural areas of the Punjab. On the orders of the Punjab chief minister, cleanliness drives are underway in almost all areas of the province.

In one such ceremony of Union Council 161 Jhapal, Deputy Commissioner Syed Ahmad Fawad and Local Government Director Shahid Khaqan jointly inaugurated the Clean and Green Punjab drive. The DC lifted solid waste and garbage from a road and planted a plant in the village.

Fawad said the Clean and Green Punjab campaign is being implemented in rural union councils of the district. All resources would be utilised to make this programme a success. He highlighted that raising awareness, cleanliness of villages, tree plantation and anti-encroachment drives were part of the campaign. He underlined that public cooperation is a must to make cities and villages clean and green.

Meanwhile, the local government director highlighted that the government has already allocated Rs100,000 for each union council for cleanliness, besides the provision of machinery and human resource.

Similar, cleanliness and tree plantation drives were conducted in Lahore, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and other cities of the province.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, an official of the Punjab Local Government Department said that the campaign is already underway in the province.

He also highlighted that the Clean and Green Punjab programme will provide a clean and neat atmosphere, but it will require public cooperation. Provincial government is observing a cleanliness week and members of the provincial cabinet and MPAs are monitoring performance and implementation of the program in their constituencies. The government has also nominated focal persons in every union council for effective implementation of the programme.

He pointed out that the program will also improve cleanliness situation in kachi abadies. Solid waste management department and companies have also been given special instruction to ensure cleanliness in their jurisdictions, he added.

A spokesperson of the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) highlighted that the company is conducting cleanliness drives in different areas of the city, besides awareness raising activities in collaboration with different stakeholders, like traders, students and non-governmental organisations.

He said the company conducts cleanliness awareness drives throughout the year to raise awareness among the citizens on the importance of cleanliness.  The special cleanliness drive has been started as a continuation of Clean and Green Punjab in which all educational institutes, residential areas and markets will be covered.