Srinagar, Jun 05: Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha Monday said that the Union Territory is among top green forest areas of India with over 55 percent forest and green cover areas.
Speaking in an event at SKICC on the banks of Dal Lake here,, Sinha said, “We cannot bring changes in the environment in one day but we have to work regularly and daily to overcome the issues we are facing in the environment.”
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Sinha said, “We have to make a habit of having a good environment and only then, we can achieve our goal in keeping the environment good and healthy.”
He said that if there is a change in each and every individual, only then we can bring reforms in our society.
“In the recent G20 meet in Srinagar, several delegates spoke about sustainable tourism and eco-tourism,” the LG said.
Sinha further said, “This is the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is among the top green forest areas of India with 55 percent forest and green cover including 82 types of species.”
The LG said that Jammu and Kashmir was growing rapidly in terms of development and progress and the tourism industry is touching new heights.
“In this regard, development and reforms are a must and the forest department is working hard in keeping the balance,” he said.
Sinha further added that the people of the society also need to come forward to keep our environment green and clean. “I believe we will continue to work hard on climate change.”
Referring to some recent research, the LG said that it has been shown that in order to bring the change in climate, there is a need to stop use of plastic.
“We have to make sure to evict every place from plastic, be it our forests, rivers, ponds, brooks, Greenland’s, agricultural fields,” he said.
Sinha also said that the people have to make sure that the heritage of the environment is preserved and growing better.
“There is a need to give new shape of product packaging in order to minimise the growing plastic pollution in our societies,” the LG said.
He said that in 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Plastic Waste Management Rules and many other initiatives were taken to overcome the plastic pollution. “These rules with amendments were implemented in 2022.”
Sinha said that Jammu and Kashmir administration was the first UT to ban usage of plastic carry bags. “We have also made plastic pollution laws.”
The LG further said that he believes that one sided development will never be successful until and unless we will fight the pollution.
“By only recycling, we can minimize 20 percent of plastic pollution by 2040,” he said—(KNO)
