Maharashtra: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Monday (May 23), said that International Biodiversity Day is about the need to create environmental consciousness. While speaking at a function held to celebrate the International Day of Biological Diversity in Mumbai. Mr. Yadav said,
We often take the best from the environment but give back waste, with development our consumption increases. If we encourage unnecessary consumption, one earth will not be enough. In the years to come, we need to pave the way for the conservation of biodiversity along with development.
On the occasion, union minister Yadav also proposed setting up People’s Biodiversity Registers in every village under Mission Life.
Congratulating the Maharashtra Government for its unique gene bank initiative, he said,
The Western Ghats situated in Maharashtra are rich in biodiversity. There are six National Parks, forty-eight Wildlife Sanctuaries and three Ramsar Sites in Maharashtra. Therefore there could not have been a better place to celebrate the International Day of Biodiversity.
He also mentioned that the Ministry plans on combining the celebrations of World Environment Day with Mission Life. He further stated that millets are important to reduce nutritional deficiency. He said,
Millets promotes ‘Vocal for local’. It is a crop that is suited to the Indian climate and soil. Along with being drought resistant millets are important to reduce nutritional deficiency. The Biodiversity Board has given special importance to millets. This aims to enable access and benefit sharing with vulnerable communities.
The Union Minister reiterated that the protection of the environment is an article of faith for the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that we have access to natural resources because our previous generation protected them. And it is our duty to protect them for future generations. That is the most important message for today.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said,
If we protect the environment, the environment in return will protect us. If we don’t give back as much as we take from the environment, the balance in nature will be destroyed and we will have to face natural disasters. If nature survives, we survive and the earth survives.
On the occasion, two publications of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change namely, ‘Biodiversity Heritage Sites of India’ and ‘Other Effective Area-Based Management’ were released by the dignitaries on the occasion.
Also Read: Environment Degradation Impact Becoming Increasingly Apparent: Union Minister Raj Kapil Patil
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. 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 will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that 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 diarrhoea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
