VISAKHAPATNAM ............Going Green

The International Clubs of Y`s Men and YMCA, Visakhapatnam observed The International Coastal Cleanup Day along with Eastern Naval Command (ENC) on September 15, 2012.  A large scale cleanup drive all along the prominent beaches and waterfronts on the city was flagged off from near the Kalinga Beach.  The Naval Community at Visakhapatnam represented by over 2000 personnel comprising officers, men, ladies and children from various units of the Command, joined hands with 1000 citizens of Visakhapatnam and undertook the cleanup drive in right earnest.

The event was graced by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, other Flag Officers, Senior Officers, YMCA president, Mr. Sam Cherian, YMCA Past President, Mr. Prakesh Benhus, Visakhapatnam   Mr. L. Pragnan Kumar, Green Ambassadors, Ysm. Vasantha Rao, Secretary Y`s Men Clubs of Vizag Steel, Mr. Sesha Giri, General Secretary, YMCA Vizag and Mr. Venu George, Secretary of YMCA  were also present the occasion.  

With this endeavour, Eastern Naval Command aims to complement the efforts of the YMCA and Y`s Men Clubs In making Visakhapatnam a clean city.

 The service personnel were joined, for the first time at this annual event, by our Green Ambassadors and YMCA.  With a tagline, ”Time for a Sea Change“.  The drive is also intended to inculcate among people, the necessity of keeping beaches clean.

Y`s Men Green Ambassadors cleaning the Kalinga Beach in Visakhapatnam as part of “International Coastal and Waterfront Cleanup Day” observed by the ENC on Saturday.

--- L. Pragnan Kumar

Cloth Bags are Environment Friendly

On July 6^th  2012, YMCA of Visakhapatnam and Y`s Men Clubs of Vizag Steel jointly organised awareness programme on `Ban the Polythene Bags’ programme at YMCA Hall.  Our programme focuses on banning POLYTHENE BAGS for pro-environment reasons.  Our objective is to empower the city-dwellers on the usages of cloth bags instead of polythene bags.  More than 70 YMCA members and Y`s Men members participated in this awareness programme. We invited Mr. Rolland Williams, The National President of YMCAs as a resource person to educate the participants. Mr. Rolland Williams,  has said  plastic was one of the most important inventions of the last century.  It has great industrial and commercial uses. However, its excessive use in recent times has threatened the environment. The polythene bags are dumped on the street garbage bins which litter the roads like anything.  Animals from our domestic field eat them resulting in their ultimate death.  He said this is a cause of great concern to all our YMCAs. The plastic cannot be destroyed, nor can it decay or decompose, like jute or paper or any other organic material. It is most hazardous material causing environmental pollution. Hence, like a demon in the making, it continues to haunt our environment.

He appealed participants to start educating the people, on the harmful effects of using polythene, by organizing discussions and workshops.   This is least a thing that we can do to ensure that we leave a clean environment for our children, as has been inherited by us.

Reported by : Pragnan Kumar