Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi calls for action plan to protect the environment

GUWAHATI: Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi has said that in view of the harm meted out to the environment, an urgent action plan is required as the celebrations of the World Environment Day with the theme 'Only One Earth' gives a clarion call to everybody to focus human actions on sustainable living in harmony with nature.

Speaking on the occasion of World Environment Day celebrations at the Assam Biotech Park in Amingaon here on Sunday, Mukhi said that as a part of the action plan to reverse environmental degradation, the Government of Assam is strengthening people-forest interface and encouraging people's participation in forestry and wild life management. He also said that in this context, Assam Forest Department has also involved the forest fringe villagers and eco-development committees to address environment related concerns.

According to an official communiqué, the Governor also said that the State Government has committed itself to bringing about development in synergy with nature and, therefore, along with creating an ecosystem of industrialization, the Government has laid emphasis on creating new forest reserves. In this context, the Governor informed that the Government recently announced two new national parks - Dehing-Patkai and Raimona national parks. He also said that in the last five years, the State Government has implemented several programmes for conservation and protection of forest and wildlife in the State. During this period, an area of 10,353 hectare was brought under plantation. Further works are in progress for enhancing the quality of forests by raising plantations on 12,510 hectare land under the project on forest and bio-diversity conservation and 1,784 hectare plantation under CAMPA.

The Governor said, "Celebration of World Environment Day is very important as it gives us an opportunity to reflect and renew our pledge towards our environment. Our environment is subjected to unthinkable pressures. Because of our own actions, climate is heating up too quickly for people and nature to adapt to it. Habitat loss and other pressures put several species under the threat of extinction. Pollution is another threat to our environment". He said that the answer to this problem would be to transform the society to make it more inclusive, fair and more connected with the nature. He also said that the order of the day is to shift the human actions from harming the environment to healing it. Mukhi also said that World Environment Day should be celebrated to encourage awareness among all stakeholders and the public in general to champion the cause of environment and garner political patronage.

Speaking on the green energy to address environment concerns, Mukhi referred to India's commitments to the Paris Agreement, which came into force on November 4, 2016, to protect the planet from global warming and climate change. The Governor also mentioned the International Solar Alliance which is a dedicated forum for cooperation among solar resource-rich countries to support the increasing use of solar energy. He also cited the example of the Raj Bhavan here, where a dedicated grid of solar power is used.

The programme, organized by the Environment and Forests Department, saw attended by Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, PCCF Amit Sahay, Kamrup Deputy Commissioner Kailash Kartik N, chairman of the State Pollution Control Board Dr Arup Kumar Mishra, and other dignitaries.

Earlier, Governor Mukhi attended a World Environment Day programme celebrated at the Raj Bhavan, where he spoke on the need to safeguard the environment against several human actions in the presence of the school students. Synchronizing with the day, a sapling plantation programme was also organized in the campus of the Raj Bhavan, where the Governor along with the school students planted saplings.

The First Lady of Assam, Prem Mukhi, Commissioner and Secretary to the Governor SS Meenakshi Sundaram, Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M) Pallav Gopal Jha, members of Aaranyak, members of an NGO Sahajyer Hath - a unit of Sarva Bharatiya Sylheti Forum - students and teachers of various schools and officials of Raj Bhavan, Agriculture and Social Forestry division were present in the function at Raj Bhavan.

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