ISLAMABAD:The Swedish Institute Alumni Pakistan (SIAP) – North Chapter Saturday organized ‘Plogging – an eco-friendly fitness activity’ that combines jogging/walking with litter picking.
This activity was organized as part of the 7-Day Challenge campaign by the Embassy of Sweden in Pakistan and WWF-Pakistan under the guidance of The Swedish Institute: a public agency that promotes interest and trust in Sweden around the world, said a news release.
The word ‘plogging’ comes from the Swedish ‘plocka upp’ (pick up) and the English word ‘jogging’. It takes advantage of jogging and other outdoor sports to pick up the litter that spoils our cities and natural spaces. More than 70 participants including, H.E. Henrik Persson, Swedish Ambassador to Pakistan; Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF Pakistan; Senator Mushahid Hussain; Swedish Alumni in Pakistan; students and teachers from Westminster, Beaconhouse and ICAS walked for two and half hours to clean the area of F9 Park and F10 Markaz and participated in the event.
According to Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan “We just finished the plogging event which was organized in collaboration with the Swedish Institute Alumni Pakistan (SIAP) – North. There were many volunteers with whom we walked through the F9 Park and F-10 Markaz and collected the waste, making it a success. For us, the message is loud and clear, it’s our waste and its our responsibility to manage it properly. We should segregate the waste and ensure that recyclable waste is recycled prudently by differentiating the biodegradable from the recyclable waste. Discarded litter is a massive problem and a challenge for our country and it needs the collective action of not just a few individuals but all of us together. This is the time for us all, every individual to address this and take on the challenge.”
Swedish Ambassador Henrik Persson stated, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank WWF-Pakistan for this collaboration with the Swedish Institute Alumni Pakistan (SIAP) – North. This morning has been very productive and beneficial, as we participated in the plogging event which involved exercising and picking up garbage at the F9 Park and F-10 Market. I am looking forward to engaging in more of these activities and such collaborations as it helps us create and foster an environment of sustainable living.”
Theatre practitioner and cultural entrepreneur, Umair Mushtaq, who voluntarily chairs the Swedish Institute Alumni Pakistan (SIAP) – North mentioned that, “The amount of trash that we throw in our environment is completely horrible. There are many discussions about emissions from cars and factories, but little attention is paid to the environment, even though a PET bottle can survive a human several times over. We want to bring attention to the impacts of littering in the local environment and influence as many people as possible to do the right thing. Everyone can participate and make a difference and it is a fun and easy way to do something concrete for the environment.”
The activity was conducted to highlight the importance of creating awareness on environmental pollution and incorporating environmental care into our societal norms. The need for these activities stem from the fact that pollution and carbon emissions amongst various other factors are contributing towards global warming which has devastating effects on human life and wild life.
SIAP conducts events under guidelines by the Swedish Institute (SI), which also falls in the framework of global SDGs. SIAP – North’s goal is to keep the Swedish Alumni and the community at large, engaged through various activities under SI’s rules and guidelines.