MARDAN: Water and Sanitation Services Company Mardan (WSSCM) in collaboration with Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) and Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) organized an awareness seminar to raise awareness about the negative impacts of plastic pollution on human health. The main objective of the awareness seminar was to inform and sensitize the students and public about plastic borne diseases, and to highlight actions that could lead to the reduction the use of plastic. Director General (DG) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Anwar Khan, Chairman Environmental Sciences Department AWKUM Professor Dr Dilawar Farhan Shams, and Program officer Pakistan Red Crescent Society highlighted the importance and objectives of the seminar. DLP Report
Dr Hameeda Bibi from AWKUM given a brief on mechanism of micro-plastic accumulation and uptake in soil and plant system, Uzma Noreen on bacterial degradation of plastic, and Muhammad Ishaq delivered his speech on plastic recycling technologies while in panel discussion Ayaz Ali from PRCS, Rahatullah from WSSCM, and Dr. Shams Ali Baig from AWKUM participated and given the practical solutions.
DG EPA Anwar Khan said that from 1st February, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is imposing a complete ban on the use of all types of plastic in the province.
KP was the only province that has formulated a climate change policy and has established an improvement fund for the reduction of environmental pollution.
Water use in service stations across the province must be stopped as we are on the path of excessive water shortfall and depletion in near future if protective measures are not taken, he warned.
Speaker of the seminar added that more than 350 million tons of plastic is used globally every year while Pakistan is the sixth largest plastic producing and consuming country.
They said that 20 to 30 percent of municipal waste contains plastic, of which only 10pc can be recycled, while 24pc of plastic can be used for energy and 60pc of plastic is not used in any ways.
Deputy Manager Municipal Services Muhammad Ishaq briefed the participants that WSSCM is collecting and disposing 180 tons of garbage from Mardan city on a daily basis, in which more than 7.3pc is plastic waste.
The speakers urged all the stakeholders to take measures to control the plastic pollution, through public sensitization, Media and other means of communication.
