Kolkata, 02 October (H.S.) :

Marking the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, the non-governmental organization 'Concern for Calcutta' spearheaded a widespread public awareness campaign against the use of plastic carry bags. The initiative aims to promote environmental sustainability and encourage citizens to adopt eco-friendly alternatives.

Highlighting the severe environmental hazards associated with single-use plastics, Narayan Jain, President of 'Concern for Calcutta', stated that plastic carry bags are highly detrimental to the urban ecosystem. He emphasized that these bags are a primary cause of blocked drainage systems across the city and pose a fatal threat to animals that inadvertently ingest them while scavenging for food.

Detailing the organization's grassroots efforts, program convener K.S. Adhikari informed that the NGO has been actively setting up awareness camps outside various prominent markets. Through this sustained drive, 'Concern for Calcutta' has successfully distributed approximately 2,50,000 reusable cloth and jute bags to the public to date.

The civic initiative has also garnered appreciation and support from the corporate sector. J.P. Agarwal, Director of Goldex Pens, highly commended the anti-plastic campaign and pledged to sponsor 5,000 eco-friendly bags on behalf of his company to further bolster the cause.

The campaign's success was driven by the active participation and coordinated efforts of numerous dedicated members of the organization. Key participants included Samir Dutt, Pushpa Agarwal, Lekha Sharma, K.N. Gupta, S.K. Sultania, Debashree Demakar, Pragya Jhunjhunwala, Sujata Thakar, Arundhati Mukherjee, Annapurna Mishra, K.C. Tiwari, P.L. Shah, Shrinarayan Jha, J.K. Sharma, Ashish Kumar, Ashok Kumar Jha, H.M. Bachhawat, Ramakant Surelia, Jagat Baid, A.C. Baid, A.K. Mitra, Sushant Sen, Prakash Parakh, Ramesh Sovsaria, Bibhas Maiti, Ramesh J. Seth, Ramesh Mahajan, Prithvipal Singh Chhabra, Sanjeev Sharma, and Subrata Sinha, among others.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh