Dehradun schools collect 160 kg plastic waste under SDC Foundation’s Swachhotsav drive
Dehradun, Oct 1:
Turning slogans into action, schoolchildren in Dehradun collected nearly 160 kilograms of plastic waste as part of the “Swachhata Hi Seva – Swachhotsav Campaign” run by the city-based SDC Foundation.
The initiative, carried out in over two dozen schools during the government’s ongoing Swachhta Pakhwada (Sept 17–Oct 2), has shown how grassroots action can truly push the dream of a cleaner India.
Students took part in cleanliness pledges, drawing and essay competitions, video-making challenges, and plastic collection drives.
The collected waste has been shifted to SDC’s segregation centre at Mehuwala for recycling.
“Such school-level campaigns trigger lasting behavioural change.
If we strengthen the cleanliness movement in classrooms, it will definitely reflect in our cities,” said Dinesh Semwal of SDC Foundation.
SDC’s founder Anoop Nautiyal said the campaign was not just about collecting waste but about “building a culture of responsibility among the next generation.”
He added, “If our children grow up with the belief that keeping their surroundings clean is their duty, cities like Dehradun can set benchmarks in sustainable living.”
Another team member, Pyare Lal, said the children’s enthusiasm and creativity in spreading the message of plastic-free living was “deeply inspiring.”
Praveen Upreti added that the foundation wants to take this campaign forward so that Dehradun can become a model city in reducing single-use plastic.
Volunteers Bittu, Subhash, Laxmi Prasad, and Pramod also played a key role in executing the campaign.
From Bhawani Balika Inter College to Sophia High School, from government primary schools to inter colleges across the district, students came together to prove that “Swachh Bharat” isn’t just a slogan but a responsibility.
The sustained campaign by SDC Foundation could well serve as an inspiration for other cities, showing that when children and schools take charge, keeping our surroundings clean isn’t a distant dream—it’s a doable reality.
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