The Punjab government is set to launch its health programme titled ‘Tandrust Punjab’ on the occasion of ‘World Environment Day’ Tuesday. Under the mission, the Punjab government will have a focused and integrated approach by involving all the stakeholders to work towards creating a ‘Tandrust Punjab’. Also any attempt to pollute the air, contaminate water and adulterate food will be seen as a crime against humanity and the state. The decision to launch such a mission was felt after isolated efforts by different organs of the state machinary failed to yield the desired results despite having various laws in place. The mission aims at achieving human excellence in a sustainable manner by providing clean drinking water, improving Ambient Air Quality, ensuring to grow and consume unadulterated food products and improving both physical and mental health of the people of Punjab. “To achieve the goal under this programme, Punjab Principal Secretary Kahan Singh Pannu, the Project Director, who is also Chairman Punjab Pollution Board (PPCB) in his directions to the various departments of Punjab has asked to focus on building awareness among the residents through comprehensive Information Education and Communication (IEC) planning and activities and to ensure proper implementation of programmes by obtaining baseline data to achieve targets in time bound manner,” said a senior official in the department of Science and Technology and environment. A letter in this regard, the copy of which is available with The Indian Express, Punjab government is involving every department with their specified role under the mission. For instance Health Department will make people aware about food safety, spurious medicine, department of Water Supply & Sanitation will ensure adequate safe potable drinking water availability while the local government will ensure open defecation-free cities and manage ‘Municipal Solid Waste’. Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Soil Conservation, forest, Transport, Rural Development and panchayat, Sports, water resources, and Public works among others will ensure quality control in seed, fertilisers, greenery, checking of vehicular pollution, promoting sports and healthy way of living. Mission director KS Pannu while confirming the launch of the programme said that by involving every department there would be a proper coordination and collective approach to deal with environment issues.
