Chandigarh, September 5, 2026:The Governor of Punjab and Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, today flagged off the ‘Walkathon Against Addiction’ at Sukhna Lake, calling for joint, sustained efforts by the Administration and citizens to protect the youth from drugs and make Chandigarh a healthy, drug-free city. The walkathon was organised by the Department of Social Welfare, Chandigarh Administration, under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, to spread awareness about the harmful effects of drug abuse and encourage people to stay away from drugs.

The Administrator was accompanied by Home Secretary Shri Mandip Singh Brar; Finance Secretary Shri Diprava Lakra; Secretary, Social Welfare, Shri Harpreet Singh Sudan; Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden Shri Saurabh Kumar; and Director, Social Welfare, Shri Naveen Rattu.

The Administrator said that tackling drug abuse requires the combined efforts of the government, families, communities and citizens. He stressed the need for greater awareness, especially among young people, and urged the youth to adopt healthy lifestyles and make positive choices.

The programme began with the Nasha Mukt Bharat Pledge, in which participants pledged to stay away from drugs and contribute to making Chandigarh a safer and healthier city.

A special part of the programme was the felicitation of sports personalities for their achievements and for serving as positive role models for young people. Those felicitated included Ms. Angle Yadav, International Judo Player; Ms. Sainyam, International Shooter; Ms. Pranshi Arora, International Fencing Player; Ms. Yashkeerat Kaur Hayer, International Fencing Player; and Ms. Gurseerat Kaur, Boxer.

Participants from the Department of School Education, Chandigarh Traffic Police and Department of Sports, along with other stakeholders, took part in the walkathon. Carrying the message “Walk Against Addiction”, they came together to send a strong and united message against substance abuse.