PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Sports minister Rekha Arya stated that the recycled benches made from empty bottles used in the 38th National Games will serve as a benchmark for environmental protection. She said this during the inauguration of these benches at Maharana Pratap Sports College here on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, Arya emphasised that the State government had earlier announced that the 38th National Games would be organised under the theme of “Green Games” and had initiated several projects in this direction. The creation of these benches is one such initiative. The empty water bottles used by players and attendees were collected from all the venues, recycled and transformed into benches.
She said that so far, a total of 10 benches have been prepared and installed for the students at Maharana Pratap Sports College, with an additional 20 benches expected to be ready soon. Arya said that through this initiative, Uttarakhand sets a standard for environmental protection in sports. On this occasion, the student athletes of the Sports College also pledged to creatively and responsibly recycle the sports waste generated during practices and competitions.
Notably, a total of 3,00,000 bottles were collected and recycled during the National Games, resulting in a savings of 9,870 kg of carbon emissions and an approximate conservation of 2,67,000 megawatts of water.
