Chandigarh, September 30– Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal said that today increasing pollution levels have become an issue of major concern for the entire humanity. Considering the environment as a circular economy, plans should be made to save the environment. Environment and Climate Change Department along with other departments will also have to put collaborative efforts into making such plans, added Sh. Manohar Lal.
The Chief Minister was speaking as the Chief Guest at the annual conference on the implementation of the District Environment Plan held in Panchkula today. Chairman, National Green Tribunal (NGT), Justice Sh. Adarsh Kumar Goel also attended the function as Special Guest.
The Chief Minister said that during COVID-19, when the entire humanity was putting up a tough fight against this Pandemic, then Haryana by drafting better strategies and with great willpower also successfully battled against this Pandemic.
“Today many species of wild animal are on the verge of becoming extinct. Saving these extinct species and conserving water is the need of the hour,” asserted Sh. Manohar Lal.
He said that a call for Green Revolution was made when the Country was facing the crisis of food grains and today we have not only become self-sufficient in food grains production for the country but have also started exporting food grains to other countries, added the Chief Minister.
“However at that time, more emphasis was given to producing more and more quantity, which resulted in the irrational use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, affecting soil fertility. Today the concept of natural farming and organic farming is being adopted to deal with this problem,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.
The Chief Minister said that ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana’ has been implemented in Haryana so that the coming generations do not get barren land. In order to promote crop diversification in place of paddy, an incentive of Rs. 7000 per acre is being given to the farmers.
He said that today saving drinking water is also becoming a challenge. Now plans are being made to reuse the treated water by setting up STPs. The arrangement of separate pipelines will have to ensure for drinking water and for the use of treated water for other household purposes, especially in cities. Before making plans, firstly consideration has to be given to how it will be reused, said Sh. Manohar Lal.
The Chief Minister said that plans have to be made according to the new technology. E-waste, solid and liquid waste management plants will have to be set up in every small town, added Sh. Manohar Lal.
He said that there are about 18,000 ponds in Haryana, out of which 8000 overflowing ponds are in rural areas. After treating the water of such ponds it can be used for irrigation, and schemes for micro-irrigation are being prepared. The use of treated wastewater from the pond will be made mandatory for micro-irrigation in the area near the pond. For this, the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Development and Panchayat Department and MICADA are working together to prepare the blueprint, added the Chief Minister.
NGT Chairman shower praises on Chief Minister for taking environmental protection initiatives
Addressing the function, NGT Chairman, Justice Sh. Adarsh Kumar Goel showered praises on Chief Minister for taking environmental protection initiatives.
“The Manohar Lal-led state government has taken many significant initiatives to protect the environment. These initiatives will give a new direction to the country. District Environment Plan is in the provisions of the Constitution and every public representative should have to ensure their contribution to ensure the meticulous implementation of these initiatives,” said Justice Sh. Adarsh Kumar Goel.
He said that today the image of the Haryana Chief Minister has become like that he believes in finding permanent solutions to any problem.
“This is the reason that since he has assumed his charge, the kind of work done in the environmental protection in the State has never been done before. Never before in the state, the schemes have been formulated at such a faster pace nor it has been implemented at the grassroots level like it is being done in Manohar Lal’s tenure”, said Justice Sh. Adarsh Kumar Goel.
He said that the Chief Minister’s vision for formulating plans for waste management and environmental protection is a historic initiative. Hardly any Chief Minister had ever thought of taking the initiative for water conservation. The thinking of the Chief Minister for laying separate pipelines for drinking water and treated water for other uses is an example for other states, added Justice Sh. Adarsh Kumar Goel.
“Solid waste management is also another problem. We have to make a habit of segregating dry and wet waste in our homes. More and more plants will have to be set up to make compost manure from wet waste. Both the State and the society will have to work together for environmental protection and this campaign should be given the form of a mass movement,” said Justice Sh. Adarsh Kumar Goel.
Urban Local Bodies Minister, Dr. Kamal Gupta, Panchkula Mayor, Sh. Kulbhushan Goyal, Chief Secretary, Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. D.S. Dhesi, Chairman, Haryana Pollution Control Board, Sh. P. Raghavendra Rao, Commissioner, Ambala Division, Smt. Renu S. Phulia and other officers were present on this occasion.