Need for sustainable environment for future generations: Punjab CM
Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Jun, 2023 09:56 AM
Chandigarh, June 5 (IANS) Underlining the need for providing a sustainable environment to the future generations, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday gave a clarion call for launching a mass movement to preserve water and environment.
Chairing a state-level function to mark World Environment Day, he expressed concern over the depleting ground water table and polluting environment in the state.
He said immediate remedial steps are required to save the only precious and scarce natural resource of Punjab in terms of water along with checking the environmental pollution.
Mann said this cannot be done by the government alone but people's participation is must by launching a vigorous mass awareness campaign to sensitize them about its significance, especially in wake of global warming.
Quoting the Gurbani, he said the verse "Pawan Guru, Paani Pitaah, Mata Dharat Mahat" explains how "our great Gurus have equated air (pawan) with teacher, water (paani) with father and land (dharat) with mother".
Unfortunately, Mann said the words of the great Gurus have not been honoured by "us, as we have polluted all these three".
The Chief Minister said now the time has come when we must imbibe the teachings of Gurbani in letter and spirit to restore the glory of the state. While slamming the Opposition parties for blatantly ignoring the environmental issues, he said as water, air and land had no votes so these leaders ignored them.
Mann said due to this massive pollution and degradation of these natural resources took place thereby causing an irreparable loss to society, adding after the formation of the AAP government in the state steps have been taken to save the environment.
Showing concern over the gravity of the emerging situation following the fast depleting water table, the Chief Minister said almost all blocks in the state are in the dark zone as far as the groundwater is concerned.
Mann said it has happened due to reckless pumping of water in fields.
In a statement here, the Chief Minister apprised the Governor that he has came to know about his letter through the media, and all issues raised by Governor are the issues related to jurisdiction of the state. And for these issues, he is accountable to the 3 crore Punjabis who have elected him with a whopping mandate, Mann stressed.
India’s government on Friday withdrew its appeal to citizens to mark Valentine’s Day next week not as a celebration of romance but as “Cow Hug Day” to better promote Hindu values. The appeal had attracted widespread criticism from political rivals and on social media.
In an appeal, the Chief Minister said the firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotakpura in 2015 along with the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari had bruised the psyche of every human being especially the Sikh community.
With these arrests, the police have also solved 30 cases of snatching and theft and recovered 23 snatched mobile phones, several Aadhaar cards, pan cards, debit cards, four two-wheelers and metro cards from the possession of the gang members.
The decision of organising the mahapanchayat was taken in a meeting of the SKM, held in Haryana's Kurukshetra on Thursday, where office-bearers of the farmers' organisations from many states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab participated.
The development came a day after the police arrested a juvenile and recovered 15 packets of heroin, weighing 15 kg, and Rs 8.40 lakh drug money from his possession in Amritsar.
