Successfully, I have completed ‘Online Crossword Puzzle- I’. The main aim of conducting this campaign is to let participants play and learn at a time. The puzzle solely comprise the words related to the environment. On doing so, the participants feel eager to find the words related to the environment so as to solve the puzzle. The people can find themselves being interested to know about the environment. This campaign is my efforts to make people concern about the environment and its components. 

Environment affects our health, our existence and our economy. ‘As we sow, so we reap’, the sustainability of the nature depends on how we treat them. Earth does not belong to us but we belong to the earth. We are being so cruel that in the name of making our needs fulfill, we are using the earth’s natural resources haphazardly. 

I will be conducting this campaign every month. The second series has also already released to know it kindly visit to the opportunities session.

The participants was also given two questions i.e. What is the most serious environmental problem you have seen in your locality? And What do you think the most effective measures for the mitigation of the problem? (Only precise)

The answers I had got from the respondents, I have presented here so as to know everybody the critical environmental problems that the respondents faced in their locality. The respondents were from many countries including Nepal, Zambia, Nigeria, Pakistan, India and so on. Also, I have presented the effective measures according to the respondents for the mitigation of the environmental problems they are facing.

The responses of the respondents regarding the environmental  problems in  their locality are pollution, water pollution, improper waste disposal is most serious environmental problem, solid wastes mismanagement and environmental pollution, improper disposal of plastic waste leading to land and water pollution, the most serious environmental problem I have seen in my locality is improper management of wastes, raising temperature , flood ,landslide , capillary water decrease, deforestation, besides all the problems of the environment, in my opinion, unplanned urbanization is the most serious problem prevalent in my locality, the most serious environmental problem I have seen in my locality is disposal of wastages on local river. The present most prevailing environmental problem in my locality is haphazard dumping of wastes, particularly NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) syndrome. The sudden imposed lock-down has been a boost up factor for a bad habit of living in the society even more as the residual kitchen waste, the non-degradable waste materials, plastic are being disposed hazardously without further future considerations and long term impacts on the environment. Land pollution is the most serious environmental problem in my locality. 

I have seen deforestation as the most serious environmental problem in my locality, unexplained deforestation of the historical Seshmantak forest, and associated biodiversity disturbance, the most serious environmental problem I have seen so far in my locality is deforestation, water pollution: River near the house where garbage are thrown, land pollution due to lack of management during this lockdown, most serious environmental problem in my locality is deforestation, blocking of the drainages with plastics, nylons and many others which leads to flooding that sometimes flood the street and our houses, deforestation for urbanization of city areas, the most serious environmental problem that I have seen in my locality is Water Pollution, there is Narayani river near my residential area, people from my locality throw plastics , broken glasses etc to the river which I feel is a matter of concern as it directly affects the marine animals and environment, burning of plastic materials and slapdash throwing of household wastes in the surrounding, plastic waste, drainage pollution, intense use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture field which in turn affect both birds as well their food sources and many more, very less attention paid by government or even local people to proper waste management be it solid waste or in liquid form, People through plastics all over, seeing that they are non-biodegradable during the rainy season they end up in a stream nearby, forest fire which is seen mostly in summer season, the pollution of air due to the smoke emitted by factories.

I would say plastic pollution considering the unmanaged disposal of waste by the municipality and dispersion of plastic packages of junk food items alongside the roads, climate change (Rise in temperature) and deforestation are most serious environmental problem in my locality, tree cutting and use of charcoal.

Also, the effective measures for the mitigation of the environmental problem of respondents according to them are use of dustbins, reuse of materials, I think Recycling and composting should be most effective measures for the mitigation of the problem, at the municipal level, efforts have been made for solid waste management. However, locally people are still unaware of the health impacts that such wastes can have and are polluting the environment continuously. Having said that, I think campaigns are best solutions to raise awareness and practically involve people for such cause. Reuse and recycle. Reusing of plastic materials more than once during groceries, as planting containers, decorations and if cannot be reuse the recycled according to the needs, the most effective measures for the mitigation of the problem is creating awareness among the people and make people aware about the harmful effects of burning wastes. People should be given knowledge on biodegradable and non-degradable wastes. Biodegradable wastes should be made compost and organic manures while non-biodegradable wastes should be dumped in a safe place.

Afforestation, contour farming, application of salt technology, creating water reservoir artificial pond and lakes to increase capillary water or underground water, awareness on afforestation program should be launched and illegal smugglers should be punished through strong policy and laws. For the mitigation, firstly, awareness should be provided to the people. Thereafter, semi urban areas should be developed into urban areas. Lastly, various policies should be made considering on providing employment opportunities to the people of rural areas. Regular collection and disposal of the municipal wastages on the properly established landfill site can be proper solution. Besides, reducing the daily wastages, recycling and reusing re-usable items can be more sustainable solutions. The most effective way to reduce this problem is to aware people to make home compost of biodegradable wastes and to recycle or reuse non-biodegradable wastes. If not this, then community should place recycle bin in every streets and should efficiently manage the wastes. The application of 3 rules of R can be a grass-root approach along with the proper awareness about the proper waste disposal knowledge are the effective measures to reduce the negative environmental impacts. 

The most effective measure to mitigate problem is to follow 3 R's principle i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle furthermore using Eco-friendly products, implementation of rules and also sanitation and awareness program. Local government should make strict rules and provide facilities like waste collection, dustbin distribution, providing training to local people to convert kitchen waste and other to manure and other high value forms etc. Public awareness is the easiest and the most effective measure. To mitigate the deforestation at my locality, Government has to formulate conservation plan and policy on the basis of grass level not on the basis of central and international agenda. Besides these Government has to implement the hard and fast monitoring and punishing rule over community forest, local level government and so called conservator. Community level actions are needed to protect the forest. The importance of the forest in our locality needs to be conveyed to people clearly. The environmental and biodiversity issue will be resolved when local people will care about the protection of the forest. Carrying out afforestation program, raising awareness among people, recycling paper and cardboard, starting community forestry project and many more can be effective mitigation measures. To mitigate the problem, a proper dumping site should be created and aware people about the conservation of water pollution and its effect on water lives. Reuse, recycle and making organic manure from kitchen wastes may reduce this problem to some extent. Awareness program should be raised.

Placing of waste bins in the strategic points of every street in my community to collect the plastic and nylons for recycling. Awareness about importance of forests trees in human life, by not incorporating solid and liquid wastes in nearby rivers, by reducing the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers,  skipping the use of plastics, proper management of solid & liquid waste by the local  bodies as well as creation of awareness among the people, Less use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Instead use of home-made bio fertilizers and bio pesticide, Avoiding the use of old vehicles producing harmful and unnecessary gases. Follow the provisions of RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and create local policies supporting the national environmental law and implement it on the ground/ grassroots level. As Lahore is industrial city, Industries release much smoke in air so, in my eyes Industries should use treatment plant to convert toxic wastes and smoke into less toxic substances. I believe community awareness campaign about the bio-degradable and non-bio-degradable wastes and its impact on the environment can play a focal role to mitigate such problems. In addition, local government like rural municipality can provide dustbins, containers   in each locality to foster cleanliness campaign with zero plastic pollution. 

Plastrone is the effective measure to utilize plastic waste, strict implementation of rules and regulations, management of the wastes from the individual levels like not throwing the garbage like food wrappers etc. on the roads. Use of kitchen wastes in the farming and apply reduce, reuse and recycle of the non-degradable wastes. Encouraging the local farmers for organic farming. The most effective measures, is  to plant a tree  where we can for the mitigation of the problem . Also buy recycle products and then recycle them again, do not burn firewood excessively. I think the local authorities should work hand in hand with the members of the community and, sensitize them on the importance of keeping a clean green environment. To ensure that my locality remains hospitable to living beings, the factories should either completely stop emitting smoke or reduce the amount drastically. I believe that either the factory owners should go for the use of technologies to reduce smoke emission or at least filter the harmful chemical vapor before letting them loose in the surrounding. They could as well close down the factories in areas of human settlement and choose some faraway land, devoid of settlements to establish new units. Firstly, people should realize the haphazard of pollution and stop throwing random waste in the surrounding. Furthermore, the administrative should focus on the collection of waste by segregating the degradable and non-degradable and they need to promote recycling projects and organic manure manufacturers. Moreover, they can prepare a proper landfill site for the safe disposal of remaining wastes. Creating awareness among the people about importance of importance of environment and implementing the habit of reuse and recycle. Management of forest areas especially community forests using scientific forest management. Diversion of forest based livelihood into other areas like business or labor market. And last but not the least execution of rules, regulations and laws strictly. I think these things may help to solve the problem of deforestation quite effectively. Minimum use of plastic, if necessary ban plastic. 

Awareness can be created in the local community about separation of degradable and non-degradable waste, encourage them for the reuse of plastic goods and minimization of the single use product.  Conducting more plantation programs,  wise-use of forest Resources and implementation of strict rules and regulations are the most effective measures for the mitigation of this problem, allocation of proper dustbin so that people will throw waste in the dustbin, banning of single use plastics and producing decomposable plastics, using the principal of 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and proper disposal of domestic wastage, shifting from using charcoal for cooking to use to electricity and gas stoves.

These mitigation measures can be used to solve the problems.

Thank you Tunza Eco-generation to inspire me to work for the environment. Lastly, I want to request everybody to play the puzzle I have posted in opportunity session.

GREEN CHEERS