JAMMU: Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Choudhary Lal Singh today made a strong pitch for generating mass awareness about environmental issues and active public partaking for keeping our planet clean and green. The Minister was speaking at a function organised by the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing to mark the Earth-Day at Environment Park in Raika, here today.
Principal Secretary Forests Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests A K Singh, Director Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing O P Sharma besides other senior officers of Forests and its allied units were also present on the occasion. The Minister also inspected 30 stalls installed by the Forests and its allied departments at the venue. He said that the Forest department has been tasked with a very important role to conserve the natural resources which are directly connected with the life of human beings and other living creatures and dedicated efforts are required to fulfill this entrusted duty.
Referring to the constant degradation of environment, pollution in different forms, massive soil erosion due to flash floods and developmental activities, Choudhary Lal Singh said that department must identify the causes responsible for these and come out with some concrete and innovative ideas to deal with such issues. The Minister stressed the need for coordinated efforts with the involvement of various stakeholders to minimize loss to the natural resources. He said the department should keep close watch on the activities of executing agencies to ensure that the natural resources and soil erosion chances are minimized. He informed that necessary protection works must be carried out by the concerned executing agencies while undertaking developmental activities like roads, power projects, railway and other allied works, the Minister asserted.
Choudhary Lal Singh released two books namely ‘Birds of Environment Park in Raika and Dogri book titled ‘Jammu Da Falura Fana’ published by the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing on the occasion and also planted different saplings in the Environment Park. Earlier, the artists of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Cultural and Languages and students of GCW, Gandhi Nagar presented colourful cultural programmes which were highly applauded by the audience.