People in Afghanistan on Sunday joined other nations around the world to mark World Earth Day and carried out a clean up operation at the Hashmat Khan Lake in Kabul city. 

The theme for World Earth Day this year was End Plastic Pollution.

To mark the occasion, the National Environment Protection Authority (NEPA) in cooperation with Kabul municipality launched a campaign to clean up the Hashmat Khan Lake, which is one of Afghanistan’s protected areas. 

A number of civil society activists spoke out on the occasion and said the use of plastics was damaging the environment. 

“Plastics not only create problems for the environment, but it also pollutes the ground for our next generations,” said Ghulam Mohammad Malekyar, deputy chief of NEPA. 

“Plastic also causes cancer, it seriously threatens the health of our people; we must abandon the use of plastic to ensure a healthy society,” said Zahra Yagana, a civil society activist 

“I ask the people to stop using plastic bags so we can create a healthy living environment,” said another activist Poya. 

In June last year, government declared Hashmat Khan wetlands as a protected area, making it the sixth protected site in the country after Band-e-Amir National Park and Shah Foladi in Bamiyan, Big Pamir Wildlife Reserve, Teggermansu Wildlife Reserve and Wakhan Conservation in Badakhshan.