Leave no waste behind

GARBAGE BAGS DISTRIBUTED TO NATHULA-TSOMGO CABBIES
GANGTOK, 30 May: The Tourism Department, officials of the 3rd Mile Checkpost alongwith members of Live to Love organisation today distributed garbage bags to drivers of the vehicles taking tourists to Nathula and Tsomgo. An initiative of Live to Love, the bags were handed over by the Tourism and Forest Minister Bhim Dhungel.
In his welcome speech, the Joint Secretary [Tourism Department] Rinzing Chewang stated that as compared to other states of the country, Sikkim was still far more cleaner with regard to garbage and plastics, but this needs to be carried much further. The garbage bags are being distributed to the drivers who ply tourists to Nathula and Tsomgo Lake so that the tourists do not throw any garbage either on their way up or during their journey, he added.
The State government had taken out a Notification banning the use of plastic way back in 2006 and even banned use of plastic carry bags and since the drivers are the ones to interact with tourists firsthand they play an important role in making Sikkim plastic free, he said and added that most of the tourists throw garbage from the vehicle’s window during the journey, especially water bottles.
Mentioning that Sikkim has already been awarded the Campaign Clean India state award, he urged the drivers to carry these garbage bags in their vehicles. He further added that if the need arises then the Motor Vehicle Department and the police will be asked to monitor if the drivers are carrying garbage bags in their vehicles in the future.
He also congratulated the Live to Love organisation for taking such an initiative as this was the need of the hour and such an initiative was needed to keep Sikkim clean and green.
Speaking to NOW! the Tourism Minister, Bhim Dhungel informed that a model was being worked upon wherein a certain token amount will be taken from the tourists going to Nathula or Tsomgo on the items they carry and this amount will be refunded if all the waste is brought back in the carry bags, failing which the token amount will be used towards keeping the area clean.
The work will be carried out by JFMC and EDC members while the monitoring work will be done by the department field officers [ROs, Inspectors], who will be asked to do regular monitoring.
In order to draw tourists the department conducted some tourist festivals recently and the impact can be seen in the number of tourists coming to the State this season, stated the Minister. With this there has also been an increase in drivers from outside the state and these drivers do not know the rules and regulations of the State, so there is a need to inform them on these issues, he added. This he said will be done through various non governmental organisations.
Speaking on the issue of bad road conditions, the Minister said that the GREF and the BRO have been asked by the state government to ensure better road conditions, further adding that the BRO has assured an improvement in road conditions in the next one to two years.

Michelle Yeoh joins Aamir Khan as brand ambassador for Live to Love Foundation

DOCUMENTARY ON GYALWANG DRUKPA’S WALK FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SCREENED AT BAFTA

GANGTOK, 22 March: The Live to Love Foundation promoted by the Drukpa Lineage, a 1000 year old Buddhist sect headquartered in the Himalayas, today announced its second Ambassador, the acclaimed international actress Michelle Yeoh.
The most recent recipient of France’s highest decoration the Legion of Honour, Michelle joins Hindi cine star Aamir Khan as a brand ambassador for the Foundation and has volunteered her services to promote the values of the lineage. Aamir Khan had earlier pledged his support to the Drukpa Lineage’s core causes focused towards protection of the environment and the spread of education in the Himalayan belt.
“We are delighted that Michelle Yeoh has agreed to support the cause of the Live to Love Foundation. I believe that celebrity patrons like Michelle and Aamir Khan can play a significant role in not only raising global awareness about our mission and goals, but through their personal efforts encourage many others to come forward and provide us much needed support,” commented the Gyalwang Drukpa today.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the BAFTA event in London, which, this year, had a unique entry from India - a documentary focused on the work of the Drukpa Lineage entitled “Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey”.
This documentary which has been entirely shot using solar power by Ngawang Sodpa, a monk from Ladakh, has been directed by Wendy J.N. Lee and narrated by leading environmentalist Daryl Hannah. The film charts a 250 mile trek undertaken by 700 people across the Himalayas to highlight to an international audience the damage being caused to one of the most important water sources on the planet.
With a call to save the ‘3rd pole’, these 700 intrepid walkers equipped with only the most basic kit, travelled on foot from village to village, gathering almost half a ton of plastic litter enroute. Led by the Gyalwang Drukpa and a large entourage of monks and nuns from the Drukpa Lineage, as well as several environmentally conscious global citizens who subscribe to the philosophy and beliefs of the Live to Love Foundation, the group completed this journey in 45 days.
The film outlines the story of their difficult journey through hostile and formidable conditions, while at the same time poignantly capturing the simplicity and innocence of the local people encountered during the trip.
A historic and revolutionary adventure, the Pad Yatra offers a beacon of hope for the rest of the world and highlights the importance of local action in the ongoing battle against climate change.
During his visit to London the Gyalwang Drukpa was joined by some of his world famous Kung Fu nuns from the Himalayas, who symbolize empowerment and independence. The nuns demonstrated kung fu at the prestigious Oxford University and Olympic Park.

[The trailer for the Pad Yatra film can be seen here: vimeo.com/36872404]