Real Sentiment Behind World Environment Day Must Pervade Every Moment of the Day: Harsh Vardhan

Addressing a function on the eve of World Environment Day here today, the Minister emphasised the need to create positive energy and awakening among the people of the country.

Harsh Vardhan urged people to use public transport more, use cycle, reduce the use of air-conditioners and work towards realising the Prime Minister’s vision of Swacchh Bharat and cleanliness.

He also appealed to the people to use water judiciously and in appropriate amount.

He directed that Ministry officials must start water conservation in the right earnest in the Environment Ministry itself.

The Minister added that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change should not work only as a regulator, but more like a facilitator in a true sense.

Harsh Vardhan highlighted that youth programmes such as ‘Jigyasa’, which is to be launched soon, in which Kendriya Vidyalaya students are taken to CSIR laboratories, should be replicated in the field of environment also.

The Minister also said that Department of Science & Technology and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change must work together in the field of waste management – be it solid waste, plastic waste, or E-waste and in creating waste to wealth and waste to energy.

He added that similarly, Ministry of Human Resource Development and MoEFCC can work together to rope in students and harness their strength in spreading messages of positive health and messages for environment protection in the society.

The Environment Minister appealed to NGOs, professionals, teachers and students to make environmental protection, nature and biodiversity conservation a strong social movement.

Harsh Vardhan pointed out that children and environmental volunteers must be awarded in a much bigger way next year.

The Minister said that our ancestors gave us clean rivers, clean air, rich forests, teachings and wisdom on nature and environment.

Harsh Vardhan pointed out that the worship of nature and its protection is in our DNA.

World Environment Day on June 5 is a collective call for preserving and conserving nature and environment. The day reminds us of our responsibility towards sustainable use of resources. It is celebrated every year to raise global awareness for taking positive environmental action. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 on the day the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. The first World Environment Day was celebrated in 1973 at Stockholm. Since then it is hosted every year by a different city with a unique theme. This year, it is being hosted by Canada, and the theme for the year is “Connecting People to Nature”.

Over the years, World Environment Day has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders all over the world. It also serves as the ‘People’s Day’ for taking positive action for the environment. The onus is on each and everybody to take actions in their daily lives that will help them minimize those activities that contribute to harming nature and enhance those that make the planet a better place. India is deeply committed to ‘protecting’ as well as ‘greening’ the environment. The goal is for this growth to be ‘inclusive’ and as ‘green’ as possible.