Sikh Environment Day Celebrated on March 14, 2018

March 14^th 2018, important day marks the New Year in the Sikh calendar and the Gurgaddi Diwas of our Seventh Guru, “Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji” who is remembered in Sikh history for his deep sensitivity to nature and its preservation. On the eve of this important day Khalsa College Amritsar celebrated “Sikh Environment Day” make “Mata Dharat” live-able and love” on March 14, 2018 in collaboration with “IHA Foundation” and “Earth Day Network India” (Environment NGOs).

Dr. Mehal Singh, Principal, Khalsa College extended a warm welcome to all the attendees and stressed upon the need to prevent environment degradation due to anthropogenic activities. He explained that the use of plastic is growing tremendously because of our lifestyle of “use and throw” like plastic water bottles, plastic straws, and use of plastic even in infrastructure raising i.e. constructing buildings, etc. Each year on a average, 8 million tons of plastic from a single country washes down our streams and waterways and into our digestive system causing maladies raging from birth defect, cancer, nerve and immune disorders to blood and kidney ailments. He further added that the scenario of India is not different and annually 5.6 million tons of plastic is used in India and 15,000 tons of its waste. During “Sikh Environment Day” celebrations saplings were planted at different places in college premises and Principal, Dr. Mehal Singh passed college level regulation to ban plastic use by college student and staff. Prof. Navneen Bawa, Prof. Kirandeep Kaur, S. Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, (IHA Foundation India), Ms. Karuna A. Singh (Earth Day Network India) with other faculty members and students were present during the event.