Indian tradition has always been environment-friendly, says Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said Indian tradition has always been environment-friendly, asserting that there is "no need to tell what a son's duty towards his mother is".

"Development is necessary today, but we also have responsibilities towards the environment and nature, which cannot be ignored. Today, we all are facing the negative consequences of over exploitation of nature by mankind for its own selfish interests," Adityanath said on Monday, while inaugurating the two-day National Climate Conclave-2023 here jointly with Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav.

"We are all aware of how environmentally friendly Indian tradition has always been. We are all the sons of the earth, according to a hymn from the Atharva Veda, so we should all feel connected to it. There is no need to tell what a son's duty towards his mother is," he said.

 

Pointing out that the world is facing the challenge of climate change, Adityanath said, "You must be experiencing unexpected heavy rains. In the past, the monsoon used to arrive earlier, around the 15th of June. But last year we saw no rain in June, very little rain in July, and drought in August. The monsoon arrived in October, and for the first time in many years, the tragedy of a flood had to be dealt with in that month."

He added that he had not experienced floods in October in the last 25-30 years, but this time it did occur, according to an official statement.

"In March this year as well, it rained. It did not rain when the farmer needed water, but it did when the time came to reap the harvest, damaging the crops. It highlights the negative consequences of climate change. Because of what man has done to the environment out of selfishness, we are now suffering from its side effects," the CM said.

Speaking on the occasion, Union minister Yadav said, "Fulfilling the resolutions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh is becoming India's growth engine under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The two-day event of Climate Conclave 2023 organised here will become a milestone in the field of environment."

Yadav also said that due to efforts by CM Adityanath, the Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as the tiger reserve last year, and the number of tiger reserves in the state has increased to three.

The number of tigers in the tiger reserves located in Gangetic and Shivalik areas was 646 in 2018, the Union minister said, adding with the efforts of the state government, it has increased to 804.

The National Climate Conclave-2023 is being jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the UP government's Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Chief Minister Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, but the state has enough water resources, fertile land, and even had at one time enough forest cover.

"Forests were cut down as a result of the population boom. When the BJP government was formed, I got a chance to go to the 'Van Mahotsav'. I asked the department to proceed with it as a campaign. Five crore saplings were to be planted as the initial goal, and 10 crores the following year. We accomplished a great deal by planting 133 crore saplings over the past six years," he said.

He claimed that the forest cover of the state has increased in the last six years along with awareness among people.

Adityanath also said that the Forest Department launched a campaign for tree plantation in areas of lakes, and added that he had also asked the department in 2019 to protect older trees by designating them as heritage trees.

The chief minister stated that development is necessary, but obligations towards environment and nature must not be forgotten.

"Metro (rail) is operating in most of the cities in UP. We have implemented the scrap policy for diesel and petrol vehicles. By gradually removing diesel and petrol vehicles from the roads, promotion of electric vehicles and green energy is accomplished. UP is producing maximum ethanol today. Together we have to take such programmes forward," he said.

Adityanath also said that the UP government has decided to protect cows and start a campaign for poison-free farming through cow-based farming. Organic and natural farming is being done in 1.30 lakh hectares spread over 27 districts and Bundelkhand along the banks of the Ganga, he said.

The UP government is going to run 35 crore tree plantation drives in the first week of July, he said.

The CM went on to say that the work of making agriculture poison-free has started.

"In UP, we are encouraging natural farming, and the Namami Gange project has produced some excellent outcomes. Before 2017, the dolphin in the Ganga had become extinct. Now, dolphins are visible from Prayagraj to Buxar. Earlier, 14 crore litres of sewage from Kanpur used to flow into the Ganga. Today, not even a single drop (of sewage) does," he said.