PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has stressed on the need for a mass movement for protection of the environment in the State. On the occasion of the World Environment Day on Friday, the CM appealed that every family in the State should plant a sapling in the name of their mother and nurture it into a tree. He was addressing a programme at Nainital on the day.
Dhami said that when the entire world was talking about protecting forests, the women from Uttarakhand created history by initiating the Chipko movement. “Gaura Devi and the mothers and sisters sent the message to the world that there is no greater power than people’s power to protect nature. Today, there is a need to awaken that same spirit again,’’ he said. Extending his greetings on World Environment Day, the CM said that day is not just for planting trees or holding formal events but also is a day for introspection. “Today is an opportunity to ask ourselves what kind of earth, what kind of environment and what kind of future we want to leave to our children and future generations. Will we leave them clean rivers, lush forests and a pure environment or will we leave them a future filled with pollution, water scarcity, and environmental challenges,’’ he asked.
The CM said that a beautiful and healthy environment is not only our identity but also the foundation of our culture, faith and life.
“The environmental protection the world is talking about today has been a part of our culture for thousands of years. We have called rivers mother, considered trees gods, revered mountains and considered nature the foundation of life,’’ he said.
The CM said that the climate change is affecting the water sources, agriculture, biodiversity, tourism and the core of the state’s economy. Therefore, environmental protection is of paramount importance to us, he quipped.
He said that the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, initiated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is not just a government programme, but it is a people’s movement rooted in emotions.
He said that the State government has taken many initiatives in the areas of water conservation, water source revival, river conservation, afforestation, wildlife conservation and green energy. Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to implement the concept of Gross Environmental Product (GEP). In the programme, the CM announced 13 development schemes worth Rs 96.71 crore for the Nainital district.
Cabinet Minister Ram Singh Kaida, MLA Sarita Arya and senior officers of the administration and police attended the programme.
