JAMMU: Around 50 students of Army Public School, Nagrota under the White Knight Corps staged an innovative street-play on wednesday at various locations in Nagrota to generate environmental awareness amongst the residents of the town. The event was part of an environmental awareness initiative of the White Knight Corps called 'Parivartan' meaning 'Change' conceptualized by Dr Bandita Singh, Zonal President, White Knight Army Wives Welfare Association.
The talented students dressed in white kurtas, conveyed through a simple street-play that a much needed change had to be brought in the way our garbage was disposed. The final act of the street-play performed in front of the much revered Kol Kandoli Temple at Nagrota saw a huge crowd, including shoppers, pilgrims and residents of the area, throng the site and watch the awe-inspiring performance by students. Dr Bandita Singh, an ardent advocate of good environment practices herself, felicitated the students as well as Sulabh Sharma, an upcoming local singer and other artists who performed at the event.
A simple song accompanying the street-play urged people that the age-old practice of burning garbage, use of polythene bags and plastics, responsible for smoke and air pollution, should be abandoned. “Scientific evidence of the health hazards of burning garbage are well known. Garbage burning is the most convenient way to dispose garbage and resorted to by almost everyone. This has to change if we have to make the air cleaner and livable for our generation” said Rakshit, a participant and student of Class 11.
“The aim of this street-play was to generate environmental awareness amongst everyone. Though we are well aware of the non-biodegradable nature of plastics and health hazards of burning garbage, we still continue to do so since the change we are urging is inconvenient to adopt. But this parivartan is a need of the hour for a better and cleaner tomorrow and there are none better than our children to spread this awareness!” added Col Vineet Madan of the White Knight Signallers, who organized the event.
The Armed Forces have always been at the helm of environment related activites including sensitizing the rank and file in preservation of the environment. The Nagrota based White Knight Corps with General Officer Commanding, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh has led the way in environment awareness programmes in Jammu region in the past as well. Besides nature walks, lectures and plantation of nearly 12000 saplings in Nagrota in the past one year, the White Knights have now ventured to sensitize the residents of Nagrota to keep their surroundings clean and green.