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.
Her statement comes after she was dragged by a man when she had gone for an inspection at AIIMS in the early hours of January 19. The man had started making lewd and vulgar gestures towards Maliwal and she was reprimanding him when he asked her to sit in his car, the man suddenly pulled the car glass up and hand of Maliwal got stuck in car's window,
The incident occurred on November 26 last year when the drunk passenger allegedly urinated on a co-passenger in her 70s in the business class of an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. Aviation regulator DGCA on January 5 had said that the conduct of Air India was unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure.
In a surprise move, the Uttar Pradesh government, on Thursday, opposed the bail plea of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son, who is one of the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, in the Supreme Court. Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh Garima Prasad told a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice J.K. Maheshwari that the crime is "grave".
Last year in June, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging a clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team to then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and several others in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Rahul Gandhi, in an open letter addressing the people, alleged that the AAP government in Punjab seems unable to tackle the challenges. The Bharat Jodo Yatra which is being led by the former Congress president completed its eighth day in Punjab on Thursday.
After six days in Punjab, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra on Wednesday entered Himachal Pradesh where Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and state party President Pratibha Singh, among other party leaders, welcomed the day-long leg of the march in the state.
