Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju Pushes For 'Clean And Green' SAI Campuses

“Clean and Green” is the way forward for all Sports Authority of India centers across the country.

In a new initiative, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju has directed that concrete steps be taken towards creating more environment-friendly SAI centers. He has directed that all steps be taken to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat initiative.

A circular has been issued to all regional centers for holistic development of a “Clean and Green” sports campus, in keeping with the following action points: 

Firstly, it has been directed that saplings of trees and bushes, that are indigenous to a particular region, be planted in all the 12 regional centers of SAI and in all its stadiums. The result of the plantation drive is expected to be two-pronged - that of increasing the green cover in the campuses, as also nurturing local plants that are shade-giving and fruit-bearing. Environment-friendly methods like rainwater harvesting will be used for the upkeep of the green cover.

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Secondly, it has also been decided that waste management systems will be optimized at all SAI centers. Garbage will be segregated at source on the basis of biodegradable and non-degradable garbage and special areas will be designated for biodegradable garbage so that it can later be used as compost for the plants on campus.

Thirdly, special awareness workshops will also be organized for athletes training and living at the regional centers to inculcate the principles of Swachh Bharat, as also to align them with the “Clean and Green” mission undertaken by the Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The new initiatives come in the wake of the pledge taken by Kiren Rijiju on World Environment Day this year, to create cleaner and greener SAI campuses all over the country.