Environment Minister Antar Singh Arya has urged all states of the country to plant Neem saplings on both sides of the roads in State and national highways along with roads constructed in Municipal Corporation and Gram Panchayat area.
Taking serious note of climate change in the country and the world, Arya said that there is need for serious brainstorming during the training programme to ensure a clean and healthy environment for the coming generations. Arya said this while inaugurating the four-day national training programme organized on Tuesday by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board with the support of Centre for Science Environment (CSE) and Sweden Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Representatives of SEPA, CSE, Pollution Control Boards of several states including Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan are taking part in the training programme. Arya said that a lot of change has taken place in the environment in the last 20-30 years. Hence there is need to make environment a public-movement, He urged the representatives to suggest their respective state governments to plant 50 per cent saplings of Neem and fruit-bearing and shade giving trees in the remaining area in their states.
Arya said that Sweden is making use of modern techniques in the environment sector. He expressed the hope that concrete results will be obtained for the state, country and world environment while sharing the achievements of Sweden in the training programme.
Chairman of Madhya Pradesh Control Board Anupam Rajan said that all the states will share their achievements and hold brainstorming sessions during the four-day training programme for the improvement of environment conservation at national and international level. He said that efforts are being made for conservation of environment with least possible hindrance in the industries by establishing coordination between skill development and environment in Madhya Pradesh.
Giving information of the efforts made to reduce pollution in the state and country, Rajan said that it has resulted in reduction of carbon emissions and rise in solar energy. India is making constant efforts to fulfill the Paris agreement.
Bo Jansson of SEPA gave information of the works being undertaken for environment conservation in Sweden. Nivit Kumar Yadav of CSE shared information on the works being undertaken for environment conservation in India. In the first and second session held today, information was given on the pollution control works undertaken in India under various laws and the experiences of Sweden in environment laws by Bo Jansson. Information about the successful case studies of Madhya Pradesh Control Board and Pulp and Paper Industries in Sweden was given during the programme. Member Secretary of the Board A Mishra proposed the vote of thanks.