Srinagar, June 05: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Monday that humanity is facing grave challenges of plastic pollution today, adding that our resolution for this year’s environment day is to ‘Beat Plastic Pollution,’ reiterating the UT administration’s commitment to protect the environment and natural resources and sustainable, inclusive development.
“It is now the responsibility of the entire society to accomplish this resolution through the spirit of Jan Bhagidari (People’s Participation),’’ he said.
Addressing the gathering on World Environment Day celebrations at Sher-i- Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), organized by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, the LG said “we need to adopt an integrated approach, circularity economy- Reuse, Recycle, Reorient, and Diversify to reduce plastic pollution.”
‘It’s high time to incentivise and promote sustainable alternative materials for product innovation and repackaging in order to protect the environment,’ he added.
Speaking on the successful conduct of the G20 Tourism Meet in Jammu Kashmir, he said the successful conduct of the G20 Tourism Meet in Jammu and Kashmir was a historic event and has firmly placed the UT on the international tourism map.
The three-day G20 Summit was held in Srinagar from May 22-24, it was aimed to boost the tourism and business sector in the valley.
Meanwhile, the Lt Governor also highlighted the efforts of the central government and the UT Administration to reduce the impact of plastic pollution.
“The world environment day reminds us to accelerate our actions and bring behavioural changes in our lifestyles. We cannot exist without nature,” he said.
“It should be the priority of all stakeholders to free our forests, rivers and lakes, mountains, grasslands, farms, and urban landscapes from plastic pollution,” LG Sinha said.
The Lt. Governor said 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. We need to follow an integrated approach, circularity economy- Reuse, Recycle, Reorient and Diversify to reduce plastic pollution,” he said.
He further suggested for creating a mechanism to generate employment opportunities from such transformation.
“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,” the LG said.
“We are truly fortunate that nature has selflessly given us everything that is necessary for a better life. Now it is our duty to show sensitivity towards nature and make efforts to conserve natural resources,” he said.
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.
Lauding the Forest Department for awareness campaigns and reducing the adverse effect of climate change on the environment through the initiatives like ‘Har Gaon Haryali’, ‘Paed Lagao Beti Ke Naam’, Green Life Contest, Mission Life and encouraging Jan Bhagidari in environment protection campaigns.
“There is a need to explore all the possibilities to put to use the Green Technology and eco-friendly models showcased by innovators and entrepreneurs from across the country and students from different schools during the exhibition,” he said.
On the occasion, SMC Mayor, Junaid Azim Mattu, highlighted SMC’s ‘One Soul, One Tree’ mission as a part of its endeavour to increase green cover in the city.
“City Biodiversity Index is an important tool for developing Srinagar as a sustainable city,” he said.
Chairperson, District Development Council Srinagar, Aftab Malik, highlighted the significance of World Environment Day and creating awareness to tackle the environmental challenges.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary called upon the people, all stakeholders to adopt sustainable lifestyles 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.
Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary, the Forest Department, and Roshan Jaggi, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests highlighted the environmental conservation efforts of the department with the active participation of people.
Under Mission LiFE, 10 lakh people participated in the 41,000 events organized across the UT, it was informed.
Earlier, the Lt Governor administered the LiFE-Lifestyle for the Environment pledge to the officers, students, and citizens from different walks of life present on the occasion.
He also felicitated the winners of the Green Life Contest 2.0, and the organizations, citizens, members of plantation committees, and schools for their extraordinary contribution to environment protection campaigns.
The occasion also witnessed the launch of the Mobile app BIRD 1.0 for the status and monitoring of Forest Boundary Pillars, developed by the Ecology, Environment, and Remote Sensing departments.
Reports on Climate Resilient City Action Plan for Srinagar and Jammu and Forest Density-based Area Treatment Prioritization were also released by the dignitaries.
Administrative Secretaries, PRI members, HoDs, senior officers, students, and people in large numbers were present.
