Environmental protection has now become a matter of grave concern for human existence. Therefore, protecting and conserving environment should be a Constitutional mandate, said former Supreme Court Judge and Vice-Chairman, Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Black Money Arijit Pasayat on Monday.
Delivering the 16TH edition of the Nalco Foundation Day lecture series on “Environment and Progress: Issues and Challenges here, Justice Pasayat said, “There is a Constitutional imperative on the Government bodies not only to ensure and safeguard proper environment but also an imperative duty to take adequate measures to promote, protect and improve the environment,” he said.
He further said there is a belief among the people that the Supreme Court can do everything. The people are breathing pure air in New Delhi due the use of CNG. But when CNG was introduced there was lot of criticism from different quarters. But after it was successful everybody wants to take the credit. The devastation of the environment at the ground level is far more alarming, he said.
Speaking on PIls, he said they are now of four types Public Interest litigations, Public Interest litigations, Political Interest litigations and Paisa Interest litigations. He quoted the case of the PIl on Taj Mahal Hotel by a petitioner Sachinanda Pandey who was castigated by the court for filing a PIl for vested interests. However, they are genuine PIls on environmental issues.
Today there is a mad rush to turn green cover into green currency. Human victory over nature has examples of nature’s revenge. He stated Ethiopia as an example and said once it had also deep green cover. But 300 ship loads of timber was shipped to USA during its industrialisation process, Now Ethiopia has turned into a desert. Days are not far off when India would be turned into a desert. Justice Pasayat blamed human greed for it.
Nalco CMD Dr Tapan Kumar Chand in his welcome address quoted the Atharva Veda and said, “Mata Bhumi Putro Ahamprithiviya,” while citing that “Our relationship with the environment is like the relation between mother and child.”
On the occasion, scholarship cheques were handed over to 10 girl students from BPl families from the Angul sector under the company’s Nalco ki ladli scheme. Nalco Director (HR), BK Thakur proposed a vote of thanks.