Highlights
- Immediate need for conserving Himalayas: Chandi Prasad Bhatt
- COVID-19 has given us a chance to ponder where we went wrong: Mr. Bhatt
- Mr. Bhatt urged people to protect the ecology
Auli: The coronavirus pandemic carries a message for mankind to give up the culture of blind consumerism and adopt a lifestyle which is in harmony with nature, noted environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt said. The 87-year-old, widely known as the pioneer of the Chipko movement, also expressed concern over the degradation of the Himalayan ecology and called for prioritisation of its conservation.The whole world today is in the grip of the COVID-19 crisis. It offers us a chance to ponder where we have gone wrong. The pandemic carries a lesson for us to shed blind consumerism and switch to a lifestyle which is in harmony with nature, said Mr. Bhatt while launching a public awareness campaign against the pandemic on Tuesday (November 3).
Also Read: Halting Destruction Of Biodiversity Could Slow The Frequency Of Deadly Pandemics, Say Experts
The week-long awareness campaign is an initiative of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Mr. Bhatt noted with concern the imbalance in the Himalayan ecology, including receding glaciers, drying up water resources, shrinking green cover and rising incidence of landslides in the hills.
Conservation of the Himalayan ecology should be among our priorities as it is the source of our rivers and more than half of the country’s population and the largest part of South Asia are affected by it, the Magsaysay Award recipient said.
Mr. Bhatt also lauded the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for the social development work done by the force. He especially mentioned the role played by ITBP personnel in providing succour to people hit by the 2013 Kedarnath floods.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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