Earth Day: Clean-up drive fetches 8 sacks of trash in 1.5 hours from Kukrail Picnic Spot
Kukrail picnic spot, one of the last surviving green belts in the city, had become a victim of neglect and inhuman behaviour .
Eight gunny bags full of trash, the heaviest weighing about 8 kilograms was what the 1.5 hour long clean-up drive fetched from Kukrail picnic spot on the Earth Day on Sunday.
This revealed that the Kukrail picnic spot, one of the last surviving green belts in the city, had become a victim of neglect and inhuman behaviour as visitors dump plastic waste on a daily basis in the area that acts like city’s lungs.
“This Earth Day clean-up exemplifies the positive impact that collective action can have on our environment,” remarked Mani Prakash, director of the Centre for Gender and Environment who in collaboration with the UP Forest Department and Lucknow Municipal Corporation had organised the initiative.
Clean-up drives are meant to clear waste from natural habitats and create awareness among others to follow suit. The visual impact of seeing others cleaning up a particular place full of waste often compels others to reflect on their actions and this was the objective of the campaign undertaken by about 50 conscientious citizens at Kukrail picnic spot.
Participants who were provided with gloves and eco-friendly bags by the organisers said they collected eight gunny bags full of trash, the heaviest weighing about 8 kilograms during the clean-up drive and added that though most of it was plastic waste, left-over food and stray shoes also made for a bulk of the trash that was discarded in the greenery.
The participants said some of the plastic collected was clearly very old, indicating that regular cleanup of the Kukrail picnic spot does not take place.
All the participants carried their own tea and snacks so as to avoid using disposable cutlery at the picnic spot.
“Together we can amplify our efforts and make a lasting difference in preserving our planet,” Mani Prakash said and added that the participation of people from different walks of life indicated the growing consciousness among the masses to conserve nature.
After the cleanup drive, the participants exchanged ideas and engaged in dialogue on ways to preserve the nature and planet.
