SRINAGAR: Green Valley Educational Institute today organised a Run for Clean environment in which a large number of students participated with an aim to create awareness for the need to have safe environment.
The motive of the run was to stress on the stakeholders to work for safeguarding the environment which is necessary for the well being of humans. Chairman Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) G N Var flagged off the run. He praised the school for organising such an event which will go a long way in inculcating strong values among students, which is necessary for bringing overall change in the society. “The change starts from home and a single individual. Even a single small step taken by an individual at home makes a difference in the longer run,” he said. “If a student plants a single tree, imagine how much greenery can we catalyse when thousands of students get involved in it.”
Var said that the changing environment and pollution is one of the biggest challenges faced by them currently. “We have to reach school or homes through a maze of dust and smoke every day. Majority of roads are broken and vehicle emit hazardous smoke in the absence of any stringent pollution check,” said Var. “Our students get stuck in traffic jams for hours which exposes them to hazardous smoke.”
The Association called on the government to take immediate steps to curb the menace of traffic jams and pollution. “The unfortunate part is that the government is neither taking any short term nor long term steps. It seems environment is of least concern for them,” said Var. “There is lack of reliable public transport and no carpooling, odd even formula or any such measure is being taken.”
The Association said that they waste majority of time on roads which needs to be addressed at the earliest. “In case the government doesn’t take any steps, we will be forced to start a million marches in the capital city to highlight the problem of roads. The bad roads and traffic management is affecting us all and it is high time we rise to demand our right to travel safely,” Var said. (PTK)
