Cleaning the Waste at Islamabad TASTE

by Numrah Malik

“It’s only one straw,” said 8 billion people.

We are a part of the time that is living amongst dead zones and is facing what threatens to change ecosystems, impact healths, and harm the planet’s biodiversity; plastic and solid waste pollution. In this seemingly uncontrollable circumstance, NCSC collaborated with Muslim Aid, an organization aiming to promote healthier environments, to bring the threats posed to us through waste pollution, in hindsight.

Gleaming lights, a buzzing crowd, an endless stream of food stalls, and roaring music; amidst the ambient sphere of Islamabad Taste, little would you care of the sea of waste that is soon to be surfaced at dawn on Jinnah Convention Center.

Believing that impetus has to begin with the environment closest to you, NCSC played its role at the Islamabad Taste – targeting mainly the younger and the elderly through a set of activities amongst which a major one stood out to be a cleaning spree. Volunteers were set out in groups of 2-3, collecting thrown trash throughout the festival. With the trash-picking spree, appreciative ribbons too were tied to people. The purpose of all being to raise awareness about the massive amounts of waste we dispose off every day – which does unforeseen harms to our environment and adds on tremendously to greenhouse pollution.

With that, a simple bin guide activity was also carried out. The volunteers guided people to the organic and inorganic bins highlighting the prime role effective waste management plays in preserving our habitats.

The tiny bit of heed being paid to the issue and the lack of awareness being spread is only leading us to worsened outcomes. Even if it is the smallest initiative, it needs to be taken up because it would be far better than mistaking it as someone else’s responsibility to set the wrongs right.

The Inside Story on Catch the Trash 1.0

by Rama Ali

Rewinding to a few days before event day, Catch the Trash 1.0 was introduced with a one-of-a-kind handmade panaflex by which everyone was, beside themselves, awed. A panaflex made of cloth and newspapers and NOT plastic. From the get go, we made sure that this drive was completely litter-free!

This cleanup drive was organized in collaboration with WWF on the 20^th and 21^st of April. WWF is known for its unparalleled efforts to conserve nature and wildlife. They have worked with many businesses, organizations and the general public to help them develop a greener footprint and this time, they joined NUST Community Services Club in a two-day cleanup drive in Islamabad.  If you had not signed up for this drive, you may have missed out on some newsworthy things.  Allow me to convince you why it was so much more fun than cleaning up might seem at first thought.

1. Sight-seeing and working

The venues that were decided for the cleanup drive were Rawal Lake for Saturday and G-9 Markaz for Sunday. Although one would not bet on G-9 being a sight-seeing spot, Rawal Lake certainly was one! Thus all the volunteers (a.k.a. The Cleanion League) ended up having a bit of a field trip along with the work!

2. Get, set, serve!

Everyone wants to be the best, even if it is at catching trash. So the volunteers split up into three teams, one under each event head, and set out to see who ended up collecting the most trash. This little competition put everyone on their toes and introduced a lot more motivation and drama. We had it all wrong; trash collection is not really as mundane as it sounds.

3. We got to wear cool gear

Don’t think too elaborate; it was a mask and pair of gloves. And we had our ammunition (trash bags) too. In our defense, we did look like people on a mission.

4. We did our own march

This was perhaps the most fascinating spectacle; it must have been, with how onlookers stopped to watch. It must be hard to miss a crowd of Cleanions parading around with big placards and chanting slogans like the old Commander Safeguard theme song “Saaf saaf Pakistan, paak paak Pakistan!”

5. We got local support!

The most heartwarming sight was how the local people joined in for this cause. A few stayed for the entire parade! Students in the area pitched in to help us clean, and some people even stopped to appreciate or engage us in discussions. Most worth mentioning is the cutest Cleanion we recruited along the way: a little child who toddled up to drop his share of litter into the bag!

6. Free food!

Here’s our sales pitch. Just kidding! No one was instigated to join this drive for free food but this did come as a pleasant windfall. After a long day of working under the sun, we certainly earned a good meal to finish the day. We also had some popsicles to beat the heat at Lake View Park.

And there you have it, 6 highlights that were a must mention. There’s still more where that came from and you should keep a lookout for our next cleanup around the Capital! The official drive may be over now, but there’s much we can still do because there’s probably nothing more DIY than cleaning up. NCSC shall not be barging into your room next to conduct a much needed cleanup session, but you ought to do it yourself. So starting now, tidy your own space, do your laundry, stop flicking those wrappers out the window, and walk the extra mile (or a few steps) to the trashcan instead of chucking your junk from a distance and landing it outside with your poor aim!

Let’s build a clean, healthy and sustainable Pakistan!

 

Four Reasons Why You Should ‘Catch The Trash’

by Mahnoor Qureshi and Rama Ali

1. If you’re an Islamabadi, you’ll know:

Islamabad may be the most beautiful capital in the world, but it certainly does struggle to manage its waste. The struggle is very real for all residents including us ‘Cleanions’ with our acute sense of cleanliness; with the garbage dump gathering at the end of the street, the smell of the overflowing container at the markaz, floating pieces of garbage blocking the local nullah, the obscure mounds of plastic choking the plants at the locals’ favorite greenbelt… and the number of times you’ve filed a complaint with CDA. Aaaagh! It’s too much. We CLEAN-ions like things CLEAN (isn’t that a surprise) and we shall not take more of this! You know how they say it’s both a blessing and a curse to smell everything so very deeply (well don’t scoff, that’s our version of it!)

Anyways, if  you live in Islamabad, you realize the importance of the Cleanion Mission!

2. For the love of pandas:

The Cleanion League is powered by WWF. Yes, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the ones with the cute panda in their logo. For years, WWF has been hard at work in Pakistan, making amazing, sustainable efforts to ‘help build a future in which people live in harmony with nature’. They’ve made some sound efforts to protect not only the endangered pandas but us panda-huggers endangered by our own antics (littering, for example).

These people will be enabling us to visit two central locations in Islamabad, help clear up trash, and raise awareness. And they’d love if you joined in.  If nothing else, do it for the panda guys.

3. We’re not exactly like the Minions:

There’s lots of them, they work together, and they’re adorable.

Gru and his league of Minions might have caused the Earthlings a whole lot of trouble if they’d stolen the Moon like they’d planned to. (Despicable Me reference, anyone?) Fortunately enough, we’re only stealing stuff that everyone loathes. Yes, trash.

4. I mean, if not you then who?

There’s really no one person to blame for littering. And no one person responsible for cleaning it up.

It all begins with one little convenience. One torn plastic bag, one glass bottle, one empty bag of chips… Before you realize it, the unsightly mound of trash has grown to the size of a small car. If these little conveniences can pile up to such height, the efforts of us little Cleanions can surely pile up to make a big difference too. Yes I’m talking about you too, you potential Cleanion.

And we’ve been waiting long enough for (*cough cough* the municipal authority) the Cleanions. If you’re not going to be one of them, who is…?

So join us this Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 4 PM to help clean us our capital!