India News | People's Participation Must to Protect Environment: Pb Governor
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Observing that people's participation is a must to protect the environment, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday said there is an urgent need to synergize economic development and environmental resources.
Chandigarh, May 7 (PTI) Observing that people's participation is a must to protect the environment, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday said there is an urgent need to synergize economic development and environmental resources.
Purohit observed it while addressing an "International Conference on Environmental Diversity and Environmental Jurisprudence' at Chandigarh University in Mohali near here.
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On the occasion, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was the chief guest.
“The human development in the 21st century is directly linked to protecting environmental resources from mindless consumption and destruction. There is a need to synergize economic development and environmental resources," he said.
"We need to usher in a movement that involves the people – People's Participation,” said Purohit.
“It is only when we give people a direct stake in protecting the environment, be it forest conservation or pollution control, that they will become active partners of the government,” Governor Purohit said.
The governor advocated roping in various sections of the society, including Panchayat members and corporate bodies, for the protection of the environment.
"To achieve this goal, a sustained awareness campaign that involves panchayats, community organizations, voluntary associations, corporate bodies and educational institutions is a must,” he said.
He noted that human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility to meet the challenge of our times.
“It is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for and what we will pass on to coming generations. We must act before it is too late,” he added.
Speaking on this occasion, Justice B R Gavai of the Supreme Court said, “We must remember that we have not inherited this planet from our ancestors but have borrowed it from our children. This way, we will be more judicious in our usage of energy resources.”
Another apex court judge, Justice Surya Kant, observed that it is the time for the world and its citizens to shoulder their responsibility toward building a sustainable community quickly and effectively.
UN Resident Commissioner in India, Shombi Sharp said that declining biodiversity with a changing climate and increasing pollution is the main challenge facing mankind.
Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq of the Himachal Pradesh High Court noted that human beings have always exploited nature for a comfortable life and said that well-thought-out policies and active participation of youths are necessary to ensure ecological balance.
Chandigarh University's Chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu earlier said that climate change and environmental justice are global issues and this conference is a unique platform where voices from all over the globe will be discussing and deliberating upon the roadmap for a better world of tomorrow.
This is also an experiential learning for our students and the next crop of lawyers, he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)