The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on Tuesday presented awards to individuals, schools, colleges and commercial establishments for contributing to environmental conservation by adopting alternatives to single-use plastics.
Minister for Environment Siva V. Meyyanathan, along with Additional Chief Secretary to Department of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Supriya Sahu Chairperson, TNPCB, M. Jayanthi and Member Secretary, TNPCB, R. Kannan, presented the Green Champion Awards 2022.
The Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women received the award and college principal Amthul Azeez along with the club coordinators and team received the certificate and cash award. The other recipients were: Government Higher Secondary School, Old Perungalathur; Patrician College of Arts and Science, Adyar; Hand in Hand, Ashok Nagar; G. Thangaraj, National Green Corps; and Caterpillar India Private Limited, Power Systems Division, Hosur. A total of 92 members won the award with a cash prize of ₹1 lakh each.
Mr. Meyyanathan said the State government had planned to focus on plastic collection drives to reduce the harm they caused to the environment in line with this year’s theme of World Environment Day – ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.
As part of the Meendum Manjappai campaign, three schools, colleges and commercial establishments each were given prizes for successfully implementing the ban on single-use plastics.
The first prize in each category, with a ₹10-lakh cash reward each, went to the Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Kaveripattinam; Marutam Nelli Polytechnic College, Pennagaram Road, Dharmapuri; and Nalam Hospital, Theni. The Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Kaveripattinam; Arulmigu Palaniandavar Arts College for Women, Dindigul; and Mukku Kadai, Madurai, won the second prize, with a cash reward of ₹5 lakh each.
Awards were also presented under the ‘Hackathon’ category and for those involved in spreading awareness about the environment. A website and a mobile app on the Meendum Manjappai campaign were launched to help the public with information on manjappai vending machines, plastic crushing machine spots and for complaints against use of single-use plastics.
