Cleanup drives safeguard fragile ecosystems from degradation: Tarigami

Kulgam, Sep 20: Government Degree College (GDC) Kulgam in collaboration with the Climate Reality Project India and South Asia, marked International Cleanup Day 2025 with a felicitation ceremony celebrating the college’s significant achievement in receiving the Gold Award under the Green Campus Program. The event was jointly organised by the Department of Environmental Science and the NSS wing of the college.

Speaking on the occasion, MY Tarigami, MLA Kulgam and Chairman, House Committee on Environment, J&K Legislative Assembly, stressed the importance of cleanup drives across critical and fragile ecosystems to safeguard them from waste-induced degradation.

Athar Amir Khan, District Development Commissioner, Kulgam, provided a comprehensive overview of the ecological challenges confronting the world, while also highlighting the environmental treasures of the Kulgam district.

Prof. (Dr.) Mohammad Abass Shah, Principal and Patron of the event, spoke about the college’s longstanding commitment to environmental preservation and outlined initiatives implemented over the years. On behalf of the institution, he accepted the Gold Award from the Climate Reality Project India and South Asia in recognition of the college’s sustained green and sustainable practices.

Advocate Nadeem Qadri, Advisor, Green Campus Program (Co-Patron of the event) and Aadil Bhat, Program Officer, Green Campus Program, underlined the importance of adopting green practices in academic institutions and elaborated on the ongoing green campus initiatives. Additionally, a cleanliness drive was carried out by the Municipal Council Kulgam in collaboration with college students, while the District Forest Department conducted a plantation drive within the campus premises.