The board has launched a special campaign to ensure that the upcoming Holla Mohalla 2026 celebrations are free from single-use plastic.
Holla Mohalla 2026 to Go Plastic-Free: PPCB Launches Eco-Friendly Campaign
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), established in 1975, is responsible for preventing and controlling water and air pollution in Punjab. It enforces environmental regulations by monitoring industrial emissions, managing hazardous waste, and issuing mandatory approvals (CTE/CTO) to ensure businesses comply with environmental standards.
The board has launched a special campaign to ensure that the upcoming Holla Mohalla 2026 celebrations are free from single-use plastic. The initiative is aimed at reducing environmental pollution during the major religious festival and has received backing from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which oversees Gurudwara management across Punjab and other regions.
PPCB Member Secretary Dr. Lavneet Kumar Dubey noted that the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib has urged all langar committees to replace single-use plastic with steel or biodegradable utensils. PPCB Chairperson Reena Gupta announced that biodegradable plates and bowls will be supplied free of cost to langar organisers, not only for Holla Mohalla but also for other large religious gatherings in the state.
The festival is scheduled from February 27 to March 3 at Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib. In previous years, discarded plastic plates and carry bags littered roads and open spaces, with much of it ending up in drains, fields, and nearby rivers, despite municipal cleanup efforts.
Single-use plastics can persist for hundreds of years, causing lasting harm to land and water. They endanger wildlife when animals eat them or get tangled in them and can affect human health by releasing toxic chemicals and microplastics into food, water, and air.
Although single-use plastics are officially banned in Punjab, large gatherings continue to contribute significantly to solid waste pollution.
