Backed by the Punjab Government, a joint effort by several international bodies and NGOs is being made to make Amritsar a completely garbage free clean-green city to attain the tag of Eco-city on 6 July 2017, the 440th birthday of the grand old city.
Massive cleanliness drives have been launched in this holy township of the Golden Temple by Municipal Corporation of Amritsar; NGOs like AlphaOne, Voice of Amritsar etc; Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee; Brick Kiln Association and Punjab Government. While MCA has provided all the cleaning essentials: garbage lifting autos, ditch machines, road sweeping machines, water sprinkling machines, fogging machines and tippers to help keep the city clean, green and free of water-borne diseases, AlphaOne has initiated “Amritsar Sparkling,” a cleanliness operation of the Golden Temple and Amritsar city by establishing Zero Disposal Parks involving students from different countries.
According to the Shiromany Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), plantation drives have been launched on a wide scale across the city and declaration made of zero chemical usage, starting from Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara and extending to various other Gurdwaras of the city.
The SGPC is currently spreading the awareness messages of “no garbage left over, no plastic used or littered.” In a very innovative method to mobilize the masses towards the need of making the city garbage free, special Kirtan and Katha pogrammes have also been launched. Various government departments including departments of Sanitation and Horticulture have started removal of garbage, debris and water receptacles for better sanitation and greening for all to translate “Amritsar Sparkling” into a reality before July 6. Voice of Amritsar, among other NGOs, cleaned up the railway station, including its entrance, main portico of the station, bridge and roads.