Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is a rapidly developing economy, and it is continuously strengthening its ecology and our forest cover has increased and wetlands are also expanding rapidly.
Inaugurating the National Conference of Environment Ministers in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat via video conferencing on Friday, he remarked that today the world is joining India because of its track record of fulfilling its commitments.
“Lions, tigers, elephants, one-horned rhinos and leopards have increased in numbers over the years. New excitement has returned from the homecoming of Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh a few days ago”, he added.
Drawing everyone’s attention to the net zero target for the year 2070, the Prime Minister said that the focus of the country is on green growth and green jobs. He stressed the need to maintain equilibrium with nature. He also highlighted the role of the environment ministries of the states in achieving these goals.
The Prime Minister said, “I urge all environment ministers to promote a circular economy as much as possible in the states.” Shri Modi supplemented his statement by mentioning that it will significantly strengthen the Solid Waste Management campaign and will free us from the clutches of single use plastic.
Continuing with the role of the environment ministries, the Prime Minister said that this role should not be seen in a restricted manner. He lamented the fact that for a long time the Environment Ministries got shaped more as a regulator.
However, the Prime Minister said, “I think that the role of the Environment Ministry is more as a promoter of the environment rather than as a regulator.” He asked the states to own the measures like Vehicle Scrapping policy, and biofuel measures like ethanol blending and strengthen them on the ground. He asked for healthy competition as well as collaboration among the states to promote these measures.
He said that the Ministry of Environment is not just a regulatory body but also a great medium for economic empowerment of the people and creating new means of employment.
“You will find a lot to learn, see and do in Ekta Nagar. Sardar Sarovar Dam, which gives Amrit to crores of people of Gujarat, is present here itself,” he added and said “Such a huge statue of Sardar Saheb inspires us to stick to the pledge of unity.”
