The Chairperson of National Green Tribunal Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel would be presiding over the one-day Regional Conference on Environment on December 14 on the theme of ‘NO Time Left, Act now’.The Regional Conference is being organized by the Punjab Government in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and Central Pollution Control Board to discuss the ways & means to effectively meet the emerging environmental challenges caused due to air and water pollution.Divulging details, Principal Secretary Environment R.K. Verma said that the conference would have plenary session on ‘Healhty Environment for Healthy People’ with a focus on major regional environmental challenges besides the role of various stake holders for the protection of environment. This session would also take into account the contribution of healthy environment in the economic prosperity of the state besides analyzing the reasons of deterioration of the environment despite best efforts by the judiciary, Government and Non-Government Organisations. This session would also outline the efforts made by the State Government through Mission Tandarust Punjab to address the various issues related to environmental pollution. The plenary session would be followed by three sessions viz ‘State Action Plans-The Journey So Far’, ‘Best Practices and Experiences Sharing for Environment Protection and Management’ and ‘Role of Research, Innovation and Technology in facing Environmental Challenges’.
Mr. Verma further said that aforesaid sessions would cover key thematic areas like waste management, water quality management, domestic sewage management, industrial waste water management and air quality monitoring. He further pointed out that the inaugural session would be presided over by Chairperson, National Green Tribunal Justice Adarsh K. Goyal with participation of Chairman Monitoring committee constituted by NGT Justice Jasbir Singh (Retd,), Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Joint Secretary MOFE & CC Nidhi Khare, Chairman CPCB S.P. Singh Parihar and Chairman PPCB Prof. S.S. Marwaha.The Regional Conference would be attended by the Chief Secretaries & Secretaries besides several dignitaries from the neigbouring states including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory Chandigarh.Underscoring the need for pro-active role of various research organisations, eminent universities, prominent scientists and researchers, Mr. Verma said that several complex issues related to various kinds of environmental pollution could only be tackled with the active involvement of all the stakeholders in an effective and result oriented manner. The session would also dwell on the various innovative techniques in environment management to be introduced besides exploring possibilities for start-ups to provide requisite solutions to environment protection and management. The Conference would offer a healthy platform to have wider discussions amongst the delegates to evolve a consensus to combat the environment challenges efficaciously on one hand and to make Punjab clean, green and pollution-free State through the adoption of advanced technologies.