An awareness seminar was arranged in Mardan to make people realize the importance of reducing plastic use. The seminar was arranged by the Water and Sanitation Services Company Mardan (WSSCM) in collaboration with the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) and Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS).The seminar was designed to educate students and the public on the ill-effects of plastic waste including plastic-borne diseases and their non-decomposition properties.

During the seminar, Director General of Environmental Protection Agency Anwar Khan highlighted the importance of reducing the use of plastics in day-to-day life. He said that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province has decided to ban all plastic usage in the province from February 1, 2023.

He added that the KPK government was the only government in the country which had developed a comprehensive policy against climate change threat and also established a fund to reduce environmental pollution. Dr Hameeda Bibi of the AWKUM gave a detailed presentation on the process of micro-plastics’ accumulation and their absorption into the plant and animal systems.

Deputy Manager of WSSCM Muhammad Ishaq told the seminar that his company was collecting and disposing 180 tons of garbage from Mardan city on a daily basis. “7.3% of the total is plastic waste. We are failing in reducing the usage of plastics, which is destroying the whole natural ecosystem,” he said.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk