SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the World Environment Day event, organized by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment on Monday at Srinagar.
The Lt Governor reiterated the commitment of the UT Administration to protect the environment and natural resources and sustainable, inclusive development.
“Humanity is facing grave challenges of plastic pollution today. Our resolution on this year’s environment day is to ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. It is now the responsibility of the entire society to accomplish this resolution through the spirit of Jan Bhagidari,” said the Lt Governor.
We cannot exist without nature. This day reminds us to accelerate our actions and bring behavioral changes to our lifestyles. It should be the priority of all stakeholders to free our forests, rivers and lakes, mountains, grasslands, farms, and urban landscapes from plastic pollution.
This decade is going to matter the most in preventing catastrophic climate change and mitigating biodiversity loss. By 2040, we will be able to reduce plastic pollution by 20% only by adopting the strategy of circular economy, said the Lt Governor.
“We need to follow an integrated approach, circular economy- Reuse, Recycle, Reorient and Diversify to reduce plastic pollution. It is high time we should incentivize and promote sustainable alternative materials for redesign and repackaging of products to protect the environment,” he observed.
He further suggested creating a mechanism to generate employment opportunities from such transformation.
Speaking on the successful conduct of the G20 Tourism Meet in Jammu Kashmir, the Lt Governor said the historic event has firmly placed the UT on the international tourism map.
Our natural heritage of snow-capped mountains, magnificent peaks, rich forests, picturesque alpine meadows, serene lakes, and streams needs to be protected from the threats of climate change, he added.
“We are truly fortunate that nature has selflessly given us everything that is necessary for a better life and it is our bounden duty to show sensitivity towards nature and make efforts to conserve natural resources,” he said.
The Lt Governor also highlighted the efforts of the central government and the UT Administration to reduce the impact of plastic pollution.
Cohesive efforts in urban development and planning policies are determining the future of our cities. In the last three years, there has been a rapid increase in awareness about the environment, especially among the youth, he said.
The Lt Governor lauded the Forest Department for the continuous efforts to spread awareness and reduce the adverse effect of climate change on the environment through the initiatives like ‘Har Gaon Haryali’, ‘Ped Lagao Beti Ke Naam’, Green Life Contest, Mission LiFE and encouraging Jan Bhagidari in environment protection campaigns.
He also called for exploring all the possibilities to put to use the Green Technology and eco-friendly models showcased by the innovators and entrepreneurs from across the country and students from different schools during the exhibition
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary called upon the people, all stakeholders to adopt sustainable lifestyle and Green Technology and remove single-use plastic from their lives to achieve the goal of carbon neutral and litter-free J&K, he added.
