RAWALPINDI:Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) here on Thursday launched a cleanliness and dengue eradication campaign to develop responsible behavior for a healthy environment at homes, educational institutes and at the wider community level.
Week-long campaign has been launched by the University Green Office (UGO) of PMAS-AAUR in collaboration with Dengue Control Cell, with an aim to sensitize the students regarding precautionary measures against dengue and highlight importance of cleanliness.
The Vice Chancellor (VC) PMAS-AAUR, Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman, Deans, Directors, all the chairpersons, heads of teaching and non-teaching departments, faculty members, employees and a large number of students took part in this campaign.
They collected all litter from the lawns, roads and sideways of the main campus consisting of dry material, plastic bottles, glass bottles, bottles’ caps, wrappers etc and dumped as per environmental standards.
A walk was also held to promote cleanliness and dengue eradication by the university staff and students. The walk led by Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman went through different parts of the university.
The participants were holding banners and placards, containing instructions and precautionary measures against dengue virus and to make the people aware of the importance of cleanliness and encourage them to keep their environment clean.
Special measures were also taken to ensure anti-mosquito spray and cleanliness of the university, hostels, market, mosque and residential area on the instructions of the VC.
While addressing the participants, the VC said that awareness could play a key role in fighting dengue because prevention is far better than cure.
To combat dengue disease, the students and faculty should focus on research so that, “We could be able to have a dengue free society,” he added.
He further said that it is prime responsibility of every individual to play his role for the provision of a clean environment and hoped that the students and staff would continue their efforts to achieve the target.
He also informed the gathering that a team of the Dengue Control Team has also started visiting the different areas of the university premises including mosque, gardens, hostel and playgrounds to collect water samples for larvae of dengue mosquito. So far, the teams could not found any larvae from the university and its surrounding areas.
Earlier, the convener of the program, Shahid Ali Khan, Director Planning & Incharge UGO highlighted the importance of clean environment with the reference of Islam.
He also informed the gathering that this campaign is part of the Clean & Green Pakistan Movement and hoped that this activity would be helpful to develop and promote responsible behavior & attitudes for a healthy environment.
At the end of the first day, leaflets and waste bags were also distributed amongst the participants as well as the general public on Murree road regarding information and prevention about dengue fever and to highlight the importance of cleanliness.