World Environment Day 2017: Here Are the Pledges India’s Ministers Are Undertaking

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2017, several ministers across India pledged for a cleaner India and reconnecting with nature to ensure that the dream of a Swachh Bharat translates into reality. Apart from a massive campaign to start waste segregation in 4,000 cities, several ministers representing various ministries pledged their support for environmental conservation. The occasion saw the beginning of a waste management exhibition by the Ministry of Urban Development at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium where Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu urged people to start segregating waste to make India the cleanest country in the world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted declaring that now is the time to reaffirm our commitment towards protecting the environment to ensure a better planet. He also acknowledged the commitment and determination of individuals and organisations which are working relentlessly towards protecting the environment. Earlier in his Mann Ki Baat address on May 28, the Prime Minister spoke about connecting with nature and how it translated to connecting with ourselves and announced that 4000 cities and towns will join the waste segregation campaign that will start on World Environment Day and continue till October 2. He had also spoken about how waste could be seen as potential wealth and the several aspects of undertaking the #BlueGreenPledge for waste segregation.

Also Read: India Gears Up For The World Environment Day 2017, Launches Waste Segregation Campaign. Here’s All You Need To Know

Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu also tweeted a pledge to protect the environment by making environment friendly lifestyle choices. The #BlueGreenPledge is an important step in India’s waste management scenario as it calls for segregation of waste at source by disposing biodegradable wet waste in green coloured bins and dry waste in blue coloured bins. The launch of this segregation system across 4,000 cities is a revolutionary system, introduced to ensure that recycling of waste becomes an easier process. The event saw several participants undertaking Swachhta pledges to segregate waste while disposing in blue and green bins. Later in the evening, Mr. Naidu also inaugurated the waste segregation campaign in Indore, along with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu at the event

People taking Swachhta pledges

Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu also took to the occasion and shared information on how Indian Railways has been committed to cleanliness and improved sustainability. The Ministry of Railways has been working to eradicate the problem of dysfunctional toilets in Indian trains and replacing them with bio-toilets, installing more than 34,000 bio-toilets in Indian trains in 2016-17 alone. The Ministry has also equipped over 800 trains with On board housekeeping service (OBHS) to keep its commitment to cleanliness intact.

Also Read: ‘Swachh Bharat Mission Taking Rapid Strides,’ Says Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu

Even Chief Ministers of states pledged their commitment towards ensuring cleanliness and conservation to make the earth cleaner and greener. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also stated that conservation was a part of India’s tradition and heritage. The Haryana Chief Minister also participated in a Safai Abhiyan at Kachhwa village in Karnal, organised to mark the occasion of World Environment Day 2017 and flagged off auto-tipper vehicles for source segregation. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also shared similar sentiments, as she called for more conservation, more planting of trees as well as recycling waste to reduce pressure on existing sources. Haryana is all set to declare its villages open defecation free by June 23, while Rajasthan is set to become open defecation free by the end of this year. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan participated in the programme ‘Pranaam Indore’ to mark Indore’s rank in Swachh Survekshan. The programme was also attended by Urban Minister Venkaiah Naidu.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sent out a detailed message, highlighting the fundamental duty of human beings towards conservation, he termed activities such as planting trees and protecting wildlife as collective responsibilities of us all. Maharashtra has committed to a deadline of March 2018 to declare itself as open defecation free and several urban civic bodies have begun practicing waste segregation to aid in better management of solid waste.

Also Read: Urban Maharashtra All Set To Become Open Defecation Free By October This Year: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis