Stressing the need for protected and balanced development in the direction of environment conservation, the Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Sunday said that India is emitting the least carbon as compared to the western countries and their environment was so unbalanced that it affected the whole world.
 
The Governor, addressing the gathering as the chief guest at the ‘North Zone Environment Workshop’ organized by Arogya Bharti Himachal Pradesh in association with National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur at NIT, said that Himachal has good environmental condition and we need to preserve our green cover. For a healthy life, we have to adopt chemical free agricultural practices and go back to millets, he added.
 
He said that today, climate change has emerged as a matter of global concern which also directly affects us. “Due to rapid urbanization, industrialization, population growth and uncontrolled human activities in the northern region, the environmental balance was being affected in a big way. Air pollution has become the biggest concern in this area. Industrial emissions, vehicular pollution etc were contributing factors to this problem,” he said, adding that to end this, strict regulations to promote sustainable development, adopt cleaner technologies.
 
Shukla further said that water scarcity was another important factor today which needs our attention. “The water sources of major rivers of the northern region are under threat of pollution, overuse, and encroachment. Rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, and community awareness campaigns could go a long way in ensuring sustainable water supply for future generations,” he added.
 
He also stressed on safeguarding the fragile ecosystems and biodiversity of the northern region and said that conservation of habitats of endangered species of wildlife should be given priority and activities like deforestation, illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction should be discouraged.
 
The Governor said that climate change was an impending threat and the Himalayan region is particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. Hence, there is a need to raise awareness about climate change, promote sustainable practices and support renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he added.