MP launches environmental awareness programme

Staff Reporter- THE HINDU 

Anto Antony, MP, inaugurating the school-level awareness programme as part of the Green and Clean City project at a function held at Mar Thoma Residential School auditorium in Kutappuzha near Thiruvalla on Monday.

Excessive exploitation of natural resources has disturbed the rhythm of nature, leading to natural disasters and it is high time society make an effort for the conservation of nature, said Anto Antony, MP.

He was inaugurating a school-level awareness programme as part of the Green and Clean City project, jointly sponsored by Thiruvalla municipality and the Mar Athanaseos College For Advanced Studies, Thiruvalla, (Macfast) at Mar Thoma Residential School at Kutappuzha, near Thiruvalla, on Monday.

Indiscriminate dumping of waste at public places had been posing serious health risk even in rural Kerala and it was better to keep diseases away by maintaining a healthy environment, he added.

He said children should play a key role in making people aware of the importance of conservation.

Delivering the keynote address, Fr. Abraham Mulamoottil, chairman of the Pushpagiri Medical Society, said the very mission of the project was to make Thiruvalla a model, waste-free, green, clean, and healthy city by effectively implementing a viable, cost-effective and financially sustainable waste management system with active people's participation.

“What is needed is a paradigm shift in the attitude of the community from the ‘not in my backyard' (Nimby) syndrome to an ‘in my backyard (Imby) habit by enabling the local community to segregate and dispose of the waste at source itself,” he said

Mathew Chacko, municipal vice-chairman, presided over the function. He said the Clean and Green City project was targeted at management of waste at source itself.

M.M. Mathew, school Principal, Fr Pradeep Vazhatharamalayil, Macfast Principal, Paul V.Mathew, project co-ordinator, and George Mathew, Radio Macfast director, spoke.