In a parallel effort, Mathura’s Divisional Forest Officer Rajni Kant Mittal shared updates on a major greening project underway in the city.
The social forestry division is developing a “city forest” over an area of approximately 150 hectares. The forest already contains more than 76,000 saplings and includes two significant water bodies.
According to the DFO, the area is envisioned as an “oxygen duct” for the city, planted predominantly with indigenous plants.
In addition, the department is working on developing a vital wetland to enhance the region’s biodiversity.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh launched a new initiative covering over 100 villages, in which households are encouraged to segregate plastic and wet waste for a nominal daily fee of one rupee. The waste is collected by panchayat-operated vans with separate compartments for dry and wet waste.
Within just one month of launch, over 15,000 households have enrolled, resulting in the collection of more than five tons of plastic waste, the government said.
Mathura Refinery also organised a special programme aligned with this year’s theme, ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. Executive Director Mukul Agarwal addressed refinery staff, underlining the shared responsibility of all citizens in protecting the environment for future generations. PTI COR CDN SKY SKY
