Day 7 : June 5, 2025 World Environment Day Celebrations at Jimmy McGilligan Centre

Just REFUSE is the Solution for Combating Plastic Pollution : Janak Palta McGilligan
Janak and Jimmy McGilligan foundation for Sustainable development organized the week-long dialogue on environment theme “collective Action for combating plastic Pollution’ given by UNEP for the year 2025.
The 7th day that is on the World Environment Day, the program was held at Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable development.
In the beginning of the program Dr. (Mrs.) Janak Palta McGilligan started with prayer followed by how she learned about sustainable development at United nations environment Program and implemented and adopted sustainable living practices after seeing degraded conditions of water bodies in Indore. She worked with barren land twice making both The Barli Institute and Jimmy McGilligan center for sustainable development Zero Waste.She said to her the Solution is to” REFUSE” the use of plastic, carrying a steel glass and a jute/cloth bag is the first and the best step towards conserving environment, think globally, act locally, starting with yourself.
After that Dr. Bharat Rawat stared with soul uplifting “Shankanaad ” (blowing the Conch) and continued the programme with a quote “simplicity is the key” living life with simplicity needs courage which should be taught. Money gives authority which leads to environmental degradation, limited needs lead a path towards conservation by providing satisfaction in what we have rather than the need to purchase more which generates more waste.
Then, the event was graced by a beautiful Kathak dance performance by Nitya Batra, showing the suffering and aggression of mother nature caused due to pollution and degradation of environment.
Mr. Varun Raheja expressed his gratiude to her mentor Janak Palta McGilligan for his internship in learning solar drying and shared their resolutions “local production” that will be adopted by their companies which will reduce the plastic waste, which started with providing Laddoos (Sweets) made with local fruits at Anganwadi ,Mother and Child Program in India
Mrs. Shubha Chaterjee (Principle IATV Indore) shared his experience of completing MSc in Biotechnology after 11 years and now she is taking initiative to reduce plastic waste by replacing plastic folders, asking children to bring steel lunch box instead of plastic ones. she also presented a beautiful presentation referring herself as Plastic and communicating the harm plastic is causing to environment.
Vaidya Shefali then shared about the initiatives that will be adopted by the people of silver springs which included setting up of Utensils/ Bartan banks in society events, reducing online shopping and no use of disposables.
Professor Rajeev Sangal shared the initiative taken by Malwanchal University Indore, to not use plastic bottles, he also emphasized on the fact that money cannot buy resources . He shared that cost incurred in buying petroleum is zero, the only cost incurred is for transportation and other activity through which it is available to us.
Bharat Singh who worked in many MNCs shared the root cause of plastic pollution is “waste producing mentally “in humans. a young tree absorbs 30 kgs of CO2, and approximately 60-ton CO2 is in the atmosphere. he concluded this mentally can be solved by taking initiative to conserve environment, starting with yourself.
Retd Lt Colonel Anurag Shukla quoted sustainability cannot be purchased with money, there are 5 basic human needs to live Air, Water, Food, Shelter and mental and physical wellbeing, this way of living leads towards cleaner and greener environment.
Chief Guest the world’s famous Hindi Cricket Commentator ,Padamshree Mr. Sushil Doshi addressed everyone by saying work or an initiative can be fulfilled by both hard work and interest. Being grateful to environment will lead to a collective effort to conserve it, at last he concluded life is to live with everyone with harmony. He expressed his special respect for Janak Palta McGilligan who brings all of us together to take this Collective Action to Save Mother Nature and Ourselves !
Veteran Social worker and Trustee of the Jimmy and Janak Foundation , Mr. Virendra Goyal presented the vote of thanks with a pledge to start the reduce plastic waste from today

JanakPaltaMcGilligan Janakjimmy@gmail.com 9893719609

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