Deteriorating the environment and depleting natural resources are a big challenge-NGT Chairperson, Justice Goyal
Kanwar Inder singh/ royalpatiala.in
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goyal, Chairperson of NGT said that a polluted environment and impure natural resources have become a big challenge for us, and to deal with it, a step needs to be taken to prevent the environment at war footing level. He was here as the Chief guest at the annual conference organized by the district administration and Punjab Pollution Control Board regarding the implementation of the district environmental plan.
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, Higher Education and Languages, Sports and Youth Services, Administrative Reforms and Printing and Stationery Departments of Punjab and Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha and prominent environmentalist also arrived as special guests in the Conference.
Emphasizing the need for strictness and strong will towards environmental protection, Justice Adarsh Goyal said that the NGT believes that lack of resources and lack of technology is not a problem, but no single party can do the work of environmental protection, so the participation of governments, social workers and citizens have to make joint efforts.
Emphasizing making people aware of the methods of disposing of waste at the primary source, Justice Goyal said that it is the responsibility of governments to provide a clean environment for the good life of the people. Further, there is a need to dispose of the piles of garbage that have become mountains as a result of which the air and water along with the earth have become deadly for human life in most of the cities of our country,
Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that the Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is taking the directions given by NGT seriously and is committed to fulfilling its responsibility toward environmental protection. Meet Hayer said that the government is conscious of environmental protection and on August 5, a campaign against single-use plastic will be launched across the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, which people must be a part of this campaign.
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer further said that of course there is a need for industrialization and industrial progress, but the Punjab government is ensuring that all this is being done keeping in mind the environment at first. Punjab Govt will ensure that our future generation will not bear due to mistakes carried out by the present generation.
He reiterated that the Punjab government will not work under any kind of pressure but work as per directions of NGT both strictly as well as by creating awareness.
MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal said that our Guru Sahibs gave us the power to preserve the environment, for which we all have a common duty to prevent air and earth from getting polluted by not misusing water.
Sant Baba Seechewal praised Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan and said that it is a good sign that people have started wanting a clean environment and the present Punjab government wants to give a clean environment to the people, for which there is now hope that the fight which they have fought for a long time will come to an end now. The Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha member also emphasized that NGT should amend the rules regarding STP because we are polluting the water too much. Further, there is a need to held the officials accountable for the wrong actions which have resulted in the degradation of the environment.
Rahul Tiwari, Secretary of Science, Technology and Environment Department, assured the chairperson, NGT that District Environment Plans will be strictly implemented in all the districts across the state as per the directions of NGT and under the supervision of the Steering Committee,
Punjab Pollution Control Board Chairman Prof. Adarshpal Vig welcomed the dignitaries and officials of various departments and said that PPCB is inculcating the thinking of my environment is my responsibility and they will get more guidance from this conference. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sahni gave a presentation about the implementation of the District Environment Plan in Patiala and assured that the district administration will implement the guidelines of NGT in a letter in spirit.
On this occasion, selected students Hemant Sankhla, Alok Ranjan Singh and Akansha were awarded a cash prize for participation in the speech competition.
On the occasion of the ceremony, PPCB Member Secretary Karunesh Garg gave the vote of thanks to dignitaries and officials of various departments.
A documentary film on the environmental protection measures/heritage of Patiala was also screened on the occasion.
25 stalls of various stakeholders departments regarding awareness and initiatives taken for the protection of the environment were also set up during the conference. The Chief Guest along with the guest of honour along with another dignitary also visited the painting gallery of eminent painters of the North Zone Cultural Deptt. displayed at the conference.
During the conference, NGT Steering Committee Chairman Justice Jasbir Singh, Justice Pritam Pal, Justice S.N. Agarwal, MLA Dr. Balbir Singh and Gurlal Ghanour, SC. Aggarwal, Dr Babu Ram, Environmentalists from KhetiVirasat Mission Ominder Dutt & Amarinder Singh Dhanoa, district industrialists, students, Lok Sabha in-charge of AAP party Inderjit Singh Sandhu, urban president Tejinder Mehta, rural president Megh Chand Shermajra, Angrej Singh Ramgarh, ADCs (UD) across Punjab, officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board were present.
July 29,2022
