�Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva today stressed on raising consciousness about environment among the people in view of rapid environmental degradation over the years.
"It is imperative that all of us as nations, individuals and humanity, become environmentally conscientious and conscious. Governments need to scrupulously vet policies and projects from the environmental perspective," Alva said at the launch of International Centre for Environment Audit & Sustainable Development (iCED), the training and research facility of CAG.
Environmental debate concerns equity, inclusiveness and gender, she said. Internationally, Alva added, developed nations, disregarding the principle of 'polluter pays', want treaties that restrict economic policy options of their developing counterparts.�
She said that the desert state of Rajasthan provide much food for thought to environmentalists from India and abroad.��
"Since the days of the Indus Valley Civilisation, this region has made tremendous contribution to environmental consciousness.�Kalibangan, an IVC site in Hanumangarh district, has revealed tanks for storage of water," she said.
Citing rain water harvesting practice in desert regions of Jaisalmer and Barmer, Alva said scientific miracles of yesteryears continue to serve the state till date.
The Governor said that as per the data, made available through iCED, 25 per cent of the world's population accounts for 70 per cent of the total fossil fuel consumption.
Consumption of water too is uneven, she said.��
Vice-President Hamid Ansari, CAG chief Vinod Rai and other officials were present on the occasion.
