Chunni Lal Bhagat, Forests & Wild Life Protection Minister, Punjab today gave a call to make collective efforts to check the deterioration in natural climate and said that youth can play an important role in this.In a message to the public on the eve of Environment Day, Mr. Bhagat said that deterioration of the natural climate has posed major challenges before the modern society. He said that if the pervasive trend of climate deterioration goes on unchecked, the future of our younger generation would be endangered. Exhorting the youth to play proactive role in this initiative, Bhagat said that young minds have big role to play in this direction for the preservation of the natural climate.
He said that it is the social and moral duty of every citizen to preserve the surrounding atmosphere by planting more and more trees. He said that United Nations Environment Program has announced the theme of this year's World Environment Day as “Small Island Developing States (SIDS)." Island nations around the world are particularly vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters and rising seas.He exhorted the youth to launch an all out campaign against deforestation. He said that the lost glory of enriched environment could only be regained by planting more and more tress. He appealed the youth to plant and nurture at least one plant in their lifetime.He reiterated the state government’s resolve to increase the forest cover in the state from the present 8 per cent to 15 per cent by 2020. He said the ‘Greener Punjab Mission’ launched by the Punjab Government has taken a meaning stride in this direction. “A new project worth Rs.700 crore would soon be rolled out with the co operation of Japan”, said Mr. Bhagat.