Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that the Ministry has taken a decision that all the work related to environment protection must be taken up as a movement all over the country. Leading a plantation drive to mark Van Mahotsav celebrations here today, the Environment Minister told the gathering that the Ministry is preparing a databank of doables - that all the people, from children to senior citizens can take up on their own. He also said that the databank will be presented before the people to enhance awareness and also to educate people on environment-related issues and create an environmentally sensitive society. “Unfortunately, we did not pay much attention to whatever our ancestors had told us. That is why today the threats of climate change and global warming have arisen”, Dr. Harsh Vardhan pointed out.
Reiterating that environment protection is in our DNA, the Minister said that there is a tradition of feeding the ants and birds in our country and thus, protection of flora and fauna is inherent in our culture. The Environment Minister pointed out that our ancestors had handed over a pure environment as a heritage and had given some principles of living, with the help of which environment can be protected properly.Addressing the gathering, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “I am glad that different organisations have participated in the plantation drive today and these organisations will develop environment protection as a new movement in their respective areas. The plantation drive is a token programme. In the days to come, we are drawing up several programmes that will make our environment pollution-free”. Dr. Harsh Vardhan will lead a similar plantation drive tomorrow at District Park, Paschim Vihar. The plantation drives in Delhi will continue.