NAINITAL/RUDRAPUR: On the occasion of World Environment Day, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a video-conferencing session with forest authorities and all 13 district magistrates. At the meeting, the CM asked authorities to assess the state's Gross Environment Product (GEP) at regular intervals.
GEP tells the total economic value of all products and services that the ecosystem provides for sustainable development. The GEP tells the state of air, soil and water. With a focus on sustainable development, the CM said that GDP and GEP should run parallel to each other.
"Uttarakhand is a resource-rich state. We should ensure timely cleaning of rivers and all other water bodies. Public participation to protect the environment should also be encouraged," the CM added.
CM Dhami also directed authorities to make the area between the Dehradun secretariat and the Vidhan Sabha a "plastic-free" zone. He also ordered state officers to check the purchase and sale of single-use plastic.
Meanwhile, in Bazpur, environmentalists observed the first anniversary of the relocation of a peepal tree. The tree was uprooted by the National Highways Authority of India in November 2020 for the widening of the Nainital-Bazpur stretch of NH-74. Later, on March 26, 2021, it was transplanted on the premises of Kelakhera's government inter college.
AP Vajpayee, general manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, said, "We are elated that the transplantation process was successful. It was due to the efforts of several departments. The tree is flourishing."
Notably, all member states of the United Nations have been observing World Environment Day on June 5 every year since 1972 when it declared a "healthy environment" as a basic human right. The objective is to awaken a political consciousness and inspire the public by bringing awareness about the environment.
