Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar distributing saplings to participants at the World Environmental Day celebration at The American College in Madurai on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: S_James more-in The World Environment Day, observed this year on Tuesday with the theme of ‘Beat plastic pollution,’ was marked with campaigns by several institutions against use of plastics in day-to-day life. The American College organised a novel initiative of distributing saplings in exchange for plastics at the entrance of the college throughout the day. S. Aneesh Sekhar, Commissioner, Madurai Corporation, who inaugurated the campaign at the college, spoke on how the prevalence of plastics have become a key environmental issue and the importance of waste segregation at every households that will enable efficient recycling of plastics. M. Davamani Christober, Principal, said that the idea of the campaign was to create awareness against the use of plastics and inculcate a sense of responsibility among the public to recycle plastics. Stating that it will not be just a one-day event, the Principal said that the college will try to continue this initiative on a regular basis. M. Rajesh, secretary, Green Club of the college, said that around 100 saplings of various tree varieties were distributed to the public throughout the day and five kilograms of plastics was collected in return. “We sent the plastic for recycling through Madurai Corporation,” he added. A cycle rally organised by Mahatma Schools and Soroptimist International (Madurai), to create awareness against use of plastics, was flagged of from Gandhi Museum by Madurai Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao in the presence of Premalatha Panneerselvam, Secretary and Correspondent of Mahatma Schools. Tens of children from the school and volunteers took part in the rally. Al-Ameen Higher Secondary School organised a tree planting drive, presided over by its Correspondent Mohammed Idris, on the school campus on Monday with around 100 saplings provided by Forest Department.

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