Islamabad, November 26, 2021 (PPI-OT):Additional Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology (S and T) Syed Attaur Rehman has stressed the need of discouraging use of plastic products to minimize hazardous impact of plastic waste on environment. Addressing at the prize and award-giving ceremony organized here at Islamabad Model College for Boys I-8/3 on Thursday morning as chief guest Syed Attaur Rehman said that plastic products had brought a lot of ease to our lives but its negative impact on environment were far more devastating.
UNESCO Country Director Ms Patricia McPhillips, guest of honour, UNDP representatives, Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation Shahid Baig, Principal of the college Iftikhar Shahbaz and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Additional Secretary S and T Syed Attaur Rehman said that youth could play a very effective role in sensitizing their parents on plastic waste adding that just imposing ban on plastic use could not work and only awareness about its negative impact could bring marked change. He further said that the plastic waste should be reused as in this way it would be properly disposed of as well as save the environment from its negative impact.
Syed Attaur Rehman said that Pakistan Science Foundation would continue its quest for coming up with scientific answers to such challenges and hoped that UNESCO, UNDP, GWC, Coco-Cola Foundation and other partners would continue their support to PSF in its endeavors. UNESCO Country Director Ms Patricia McPhillips stressed the need of bringing change in mindset to control and contain the use of plastic goods and asked youth to play their role toward this end.
Ms Patricia McPhillips said, “Stop using plastic products and the production of plastic goods will automatically go down,” adding it was simply a demand and supply mechanism when demand will went down the production would also go down.
She said that the plastic bottles and shopping bags produced now, would be present even in the days of your grand children adding that this could only be prevented to educate people on the devastating effects of plastic waste. UNESCO Country Director addressing a large number of students present in the hall said, “You have a beautiful country with mountains, deserts and fertile plains. You have Hindu Kush Mountain, Indus River and you have to protect it.
Indus is one of the most polluted rivers in the world and you have power to bring the change,” she added. Ms Patricia McPhillips was all praise for the work done by the students and the level of awareness on plastic waste among the youth. Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation Dr. Shahid Baig termed the plastic waste a global problem and said that if corrective measures were not taken to put the house in order the future generations would suffer.
The PSF Chairman said that they were amazed to see the work of the students who participated in these events and it had become difficult for them to finalise the winners. He said that they were constrained to give prizes to winners but they would be giving commendation certificates to all the students as in his view all of them were winners in their own capacity.
Environmental activist Hania Imran also spoke on the occasion. Meanwhile, representatives from the environment and climate change unit of UNDP attended the event and interacted with the students to learn more about the innovative plastic waste recycling solutions on display.
UNDP is also engaging youth in developing low-cost innovative technologies to recycle plastic waste, minimize its leakage in the environment thereby promoting the concept of circular economy. Later Syed Attaur Rehman, UNESCO Country Director Ms Patricia McPhillips and Chairman PSF Dr. Shahid Baig gave away prizes to the winners. The winner of waste model competition Asia Ismail presented his award winning model to Ms Patricia Mc Phillips.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology (S and T) Syed Attaur Rehman addressing the prize and award-giving ceremony at Islamabad Model College for Boys I-8/3 on Thursday. A group photo of the winners of poster, essay and plastic waste models competitions with the chief guest at the prize and award-giving ceremony at Islamabad Model College for Boys I-8/3.
For more information, contact:
Sr. Science Promotion Officer
Pakistan Science Foundation
1-Constitution Avenue,
Sector G-5/2, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9202469-70
Fax: +92-51-9202468
Website: www.psf.gov.pk
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