Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and others launch the campaign in Mohali on Tuesday. (Jasbir Malhi)
Calling upon the industries to take appropriate steps to check the pollution caused by them, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh launched Mission Tandarust Punjab at Indian Institute of Scientific Education and Research here on Tuesday. The Congress government’s landmark initiative has been launched on the World Environment Day with an aim to transform the state into one of the healthiest one in the country.“Throwing waste into the rivers by industries is not acceptable. It is the industries’ responsibility to control water pollution by ensuring that no untreated water or effluent is thrown into the rivers. Polluting rivers and cities is a serious concerns and it needed to be stopped immediately,” the CM said.
Expressing concern over the fast-depleting ground water level, the CM underlined the importance of introducing crops that use less water, warning that “if we don’t act now, things will become extremely bad for the state in the times ahead.”
The CM added that people should plant traditional saplings instead of poplar and eucalyptus to protect the environment, and cited the example of Dubai where cutting the native trees was an offence. “Plant at least one tree to contribute towards protection of the environment for the coming generations,” he appealed to people, calling for judicious use of pesticides to save the environment and asked the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to intensify its efforts to educate farmers about it.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also launched ‘Tandarust Punjab’ booklet, and ‘Ghar Ghar Haryali’ app for providing information about saplings available with the forest department as per season. To mark the occasion, the Chief Minister presented saplings of sandalwood to 13 eco-conservationists. The Chief Minister also formally launched the district administration’s ‘Mission Green Mohali’ initiative to plant one crore trees in three years.
On the occasion, Forest and Wildlife Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot described the mission as a major initiative in the context of the growing environmental pollution. He announced that the forest department would provide one lakh saplings of sandalwood to farmers for planting on the boundaries of their fields. “The department has set a target to plant eight crore saplings of various kinds across the state,” Dharamsot said.
Environment Minister O P Soni, who was also present on the occasion, said that no state or nation could progress and prosper in the absence of a clean and green environment and that the mission would go a long way in enabling such an environment in Punjab.
Former director of PGIMER, Chandigarh, K K Talwar welcomed the launch of the mission on the World Environment Day, exhorting one and all to work together for “Acchhi Sehat, Acchhi Soch”.
Environmentalist and Padma Shri Baba Sewa Singh Khadoor Sahib called upon the people to take a pledge to save water, air and soil of the state, in order to make Punjab the healthiest one in the country.
-With PTI inputs