Increased public awareness and direct involvement of all the stakeholders must be emphasised upon in order to effectively work towards the conservation of the Himalaya. There is a need for the public to undertake necessary efforts at the individual level as a direct action programme for such conservation, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat. People from across the nation are also getting involved in such conservation efforts but the required consistency is not being maintained. The chief minister was speaking at an event held in the Doon University on the occasion of Himalaya Day in Dehradun on Friday.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that “when we talk about conservation of the Himalaya, in effect we are talking about saving ourselves”. Rawat said, “If we are to protect the Himalaya and its environment, we will also need to connect our efforts with those people whose lives are directly based on the Himalaya. We will have to raise an awareness level in the public towards the conservation of the Himalayas. One cannot imagine life without the Himalaya. The purpose behind the commemoration of the Himalaya Day is that we emphasise on our dedication and commitment expected. We have to devote ourselves in the manner of a direct action programme for Himalaya conservation,” he said. Extolling noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna, the Chief Minister described him as a major source of inspiration and referring to the past said that when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had presented the Forest (Conservation) Act in the parliament she had also mentioned Sunderlal Bahuguna.
The Chief Minister stressed on the need for remaining alert and aware while working to protect the environment, adding that the participation of the public has to be ensured for this purpose. Rawat said, “Uttarakhand is the first State in India which is providing monetary bonus to those planting and nurturing trees. The plantation of broad leafed tree species is being accorded priority as part of such efforts. The protection of the Himalaya cannot be ensured through the efforts of the government alone. Actions at the individual level also need to be included in such conservational efforts.” The Chief Minister went on to opine that dynamic development should be the manner of leading lives. Regarding State Government efforts he said, “In order to link the environmental concern with culture, the State Government has linked tree plantation with the traditional Harela festivity. An initiative has been taken for the conservation of the Himalaya and the people of the nation are also getting involved in this. However, consistency in such efforts is not being achieved and maintained. In the previous year, the State Government got about one thousand ponds and reservoirs for water through the forest department. The State irrigation department has also made about 10 big water reservoirs. Now, the authorities concerned have been given a target of building 10,000 such ponds and water reservoirs,” added the Chief Minister.
At the programme, the noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna administered the pledge of conservation of the Himalaya to the people present on the occasion. His activist wife, Vimla Bahuguna and academicians including VK Jain, Kusum Arunachalam and other faculty members of the university along with students were also among those present on the occasion.