New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS): On the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, 32,000 students of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) schools, here on Wednesday, took the plastic-free India pledge and vowed not to use single-use plastics.

They later organised "mass swachhta rallies" on the theme of "make India free from single-use plastics" in nearby schools and residential areas.

The NDMC also organised street plays, poster exhibitions, cycle rallies and plogging drives at residential complexes, market and commercial areas, parks and gardens.

To get rid of the menace of plastics, which posed threat to the life and environment, was the need of the hour, said NDMC Chairman Vijay Kumar Dev.

"The enthusiastic participation of school children and others in the cleanliness programmes indicates the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India free from dust, dirt, illness and single-use plastics will be achieved," Dev said.

He also announced NDMC decision to set up 'Saksham Eco Mart', an woman's enterprise, to make them self-reliant. "The Saksham Eco Mart is a step towards empowering women and provide an alternative for plastics use," Dev said.