UP CM appeals to people to join efforts to control pollution, protect environment

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday appealed to people to join the government's ongoing efforts to control pollution and protect the environment.

He also gave the mantra of "six R's -- reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, refabricate, and repair" to protect the environment from plastic.

The celebration of World Environment Day on June 5 for the last 51 years bears testimony to the global concern over the environmental crisis, which has increased significantly over the years, the chief minister said.

He was addressing a conference on 'Race for Life: Circular Economy and Local Climate Action' organised by the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change here.

"It is concerning how the environment has been neglected in the 51-year journey of economic development", he said.

"Earth, water, air, trees, and plants work together to form the environment. We have all also been created around the five elements. Though there is a connection between our life cycle and that of the rest of creation, we pollute the water, air, and other natural resources," the chief minister said.

He said that people have to bear the brunt of this in the form of various diseases and "the cost of treating these diseases consumes a significant portion of peoples' incomes".

Citing the example of the Namami Gange project in the field of environmental protection, Adityanath said that today the water of the Ganga has become clean and uninterrupted in Prayagraj and Kashi. "People are happily visiting and bathing in it. Whereas earlier people could not take baths in Prayagraj Kumbh," he said.

The chief minister said that "Amrit Sarovars" are being constructed in every village as part of the "Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" for water conservation.

Referring to encephalitis disease, he said that pollution and filth were the reasons for this. Everyone must work to stop it from spreading again by being aware of the environment and cleanliness, the chief minister added.

Adityanath said this year the theme of World Environment Day is "Solution for Plastic Pollution". "It was banned in the state in 2018 itself. Single-use plastic consumption is equivalent to sin as a cow might die after consuming it. Being an indestructible thing, plastic also affects the health of mother earth," he said.

The Chief Minister also informed about the 'Van Mahotsav' to be organized in the first week of July and said that the state government has decided to plant 35 crore saplings.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath administered LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) pledge to all 58,000 gram panchayats and 762 municipal bodies of the state through an online medium.