Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that climate change has had an impact on the planet and that only greenery is the solution to the crisis.
Launching a tree planting campaign (Vriksharopan Abhiyan) by the Ministry of Energy, he said that Indian culture emphasized that nature must not be abused but sponsored instead.
Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for six eco-parks and tourism sites, according to a statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The tree planting campaign was conducted at more than 130 locations in 38 districts of 10 coal and lignite-bearing states across India through videoconferences. Climate change has had an effect on the planet, and only greenery is the solution to this problem, he said.
“The focal mantra of Indian heritage has been that we should harness natural resources and not exploit them. We ignored this principle at our own peril, leading to depletion of the ozone layer and forming ozone holes, which in turn resulted in global warming and climate change,” he said.
The Home Secretary said that there is only one solution to this issue, one that has been stated in the ‘Puranas’ (old scriptures) by the sages, that trees are human friends, and only greenery can get people out of this crisis.
Trees give people life-saving oxygen, help to minimize the carbon footprint and protect the ozone layer, he said.
Shah said there are many tree species that can serve the human race for 100-150 years, and ‘Peepul’ is one of the trees that produces 100% oxygen.
The Home Secretary said that today the coal sector is not only ready to meet the rising demand for coal, but is equally responsive to environmental stability.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is encouraging reforestation and afforestation in the various coal-bed regions, he said. The Prime Minister has set up a district mineral fund with a corpus of Rs 39,000 crore for the creation of mining areas, and 35,000 small projects have been completed, Shah said.
He stressed that the coal sector is a significant pillar of India’s economy and will continue to be of significance in the times ahead.
Many measures have been undertaken by the Ministry of Coal for ‘Ease of Business’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Shah said.
In support of the Aatmanirbhar Prime Minister ‘s drive, India is working towards taking coal imports down to zero. The government has set an ambitious goal of generating one billion tons of coal annually by 2023-24.
“Coal PSUs and captive miners have also launched steps to enhance production, while an investment of Rs 1,25,000 crore is envisaged under the Infrastructure Investment Scheme during the period 2020-24 for which 534 projects have been identified,” Shah said.
