Sikh pilgrimage centre Amritsar in Punjab has taken a lead by launching a project to make the city environment-friendly in five years, says an environmental expert.
“There is need to preserve water, air and food resources. The whole idea of EcoAmritsar is to make the city eco-friendly and sustainable,” EcoSikh India Project manager Ravneet Pal Singh told IANS Sunday.
Based on a six-point agenda, EcoAmritsar has brought together stakeholders including hospitals, hotels, malls, schools, NGOs, temples, mosques and churches.
“We have started small projects with ownership to stakeholders. We will soon set up a board to take concrete steps in greening the city by 2017,” Ravneet Pal Singh said.
“People are voluntarily coming forward to join us,” Gunbir Singh, chairman, EcoAmritsar and World Wide Fund for Nature, Punjab, told IANS.
“The project will ensure that the processes, techniques, transport and other activities for making all arrangements for pilgrims become sustainable,” he said.
He hoped that by the 440th anniversary of Amritsar in 2017, the city will have a clean and green environment.
Another historical Sikh pilgrim city, Nanded in Maharashtra, is also covered under EcoSikh.
Started three months ago, EcoAmritsar is a part of EcoSikh, a movement launched in 2009 by Sikh Council of Religion and Education (USA), Alliance of Religions and Conservation (Britain) and United Nations Development Programme.
Officials of EcoSikh and EcoAmritsar shared their experiences with participants from other pilgrim centres at an event here to launch the Indian chapter of Green Pilgrimage Network.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages the Golden Temple, is the founder member of the network.