CHANDIGARH: “Environment pollution is the biggest danger looming large at the face of modern civilization. If we fail to respond to this problem in time our younger generation will not forgive us. So this is time that we have to enforce stringent laws to check contamination of air, water and soil.” It was said by Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu, Health & Family Welfare Minister while presiding over the first meeting of the CM’s Consultative Group on Mission Tandarust Punjab. Members of this consultative group made a resolved in unison to make Punjab the healthiest state with healthy environment by ensuring better inter-sectoral and inter-departmental coordination.
Disclosing this official spokesperson of the Punjab Government said that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress made in one year on the most ambitious and multifaceted “ Mission Tandarust Punjab” and to chalk out the vision and framework for the mission to continue it further. Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu categorically said that in order to conserve Punjab ‘ land of great gurus’ we have to ensure the better implementation of laws for rain water harvesting, recharging of ground water, better management of solid waste, increase of greener cover of the state and to stop the stubble burning in the state to preserve our land, water bodies and air.
Mr. R.K Verma, Principal Secretary, Science Technology and Environment gave detailed presentation on the various achievements of Mission Tandarust Punjab since its launch on June 5, 2018. This first core area which the consultative group discussed was the necessity of clean air for the human existence. It was decided that pollution of the air by vehicular emissions, road dust, burning of garbage and biomass, industrial emissions and construction of demolition and construction activities must be decreased by proper implantation of the laws. Similarly all the committee members were in favour of stringent laws for ensuring clean drinking water, treatment of waste water, treatment of industrial effluents, recharging of ground water and rain water harvesting. The other key areas on which better implementation of the laws was felt were Solid waste management, Industrial waste contamination, agrochemical contamination, municipal waste in landfill contamination.
Other member of this CM’s consultative group who attended the meeting included Mr. Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Forest Minister, Mrs. Razia Sultana, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister, Mr. Sandeep Singh MLA Nabha, Mr. Avatar Singh MLA Jalandhar North, Tarsem Singh DC MLS Attari, Kuldeep Singh Vaid MLA Gill, Pawan Kumar Adia, MLA Sham Churasi and Mr. Santokh Singh MLA Bhalipur, Baba Bakala.
Mr. Saravjit Singh Principal Secretary Water Resources, Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu, Director Mission Tandarust Punjab, Mr. Krishan Kumar, Secretary School Education, Dr. SS Marwaha, chairman PPCB and other senior officers of the various departments were also present in the meeting.