Javadekar says India’s green cover has risen; avoids tree-felling issue
NEW DELHI: India’s green cover has increased by 15,000 square kilometres, Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday.
Responding to a question on the issue of felling trees in Mumbai’s Aarey forest, Javadekar told mediapersons here that he would not like to comment on a sub judice matter.
“The Supreme Court has given a decision on it, so I will not comment on the matter,” he told a press conference at the ministry.
The environment minister, however, said, “If you cut one tree, you plant and ensure the growth of five trees.”
“In the last four years, the green cover of the country has increased by 15,000 square kilometres. There are only a few countries in the world whose green cover has increased and those include India,” he said.
The Union minister al s o appealed to the people not to burst fire crackers this Diwali.
If anyone wanted to burst them at all, he advised them opting for green crackers launched recently.
In his press conference, Javadekar also said even t he national capital faces several pollution related challenges but they can be tackled as the Central government has taken a slew of measures for the purpose in the last four years.
“The problem of pollution began in 2005-06 and no one was talking about it until 2014 when Modi government recognised the problem and undertook the challenge to address it.
“We are bringing BS-VI compliant vehicles from next year, and 46 teams of the Central Pollution Control Board have been deployed to check the polluting activities in Delhi and NCR today onwards,” Javadekar s a i d, while l i s t i ng o ut t he actions taken by his ministry. Enumerating some challenges in Delhi, the minister said seven major polluting areas have been identified in collaboration with IIT Delhi which were found to be having unpaved roads, industrial emissions and heave commercial vehicle activity.
These areas are Wazirabad, Mayapuri, Okhla, Faridabad 1 and 2, Sahibabad and Udyog Vihar, he said.
“As per t he f eedback of a CPCB’S team, the poor waste management, i nadequate sweeping of roads and unauthorised parking were reported in these areas,” the minister said.