Uttarakhand to set up river rejuvenation board
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said that the government will set up a spring and river rejuvenation board for the protection and revival of the water bodies in the state while calling for public awareness campaigns for environmental protection.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, chief minister Dhami also announced that 50-km long cycle tracks each will be built in four districts of the state — Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital. He said that in all 13 districts, one gram panchayat doing the best work in the field of cleanliness will be rewarded.
Dhami made these announcements during a function organised in Dehradun. During the event, Dhami along with forest minister Subodh Uniyal planted trees near the chief minister’s residence.
Dhami said, “Cycle tracks of 50 km each will be made in four districts of the state, Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital, and as many cycle tracks as possible will be made in nine districts. A Spring and River Rejuvenation Board will be formed in the state. In all 13 districts, one gram panchayat doing the best work in the field of cleanliness will be rewarded”.
Later, during an online meeting with the district magistrates, Dhami directed them that regular public awareness campaigns should be conducted in the districts for environmental protection and continuous work should be done in this direction. “Public cooperation should also be taken for tree plantation and cleanliness campaigns. For our future generations to get pure water, air, soil and environment, everyone has to pay attention towards environment protection,” he said. The CM said the rise in global temperature and fall in water level is a matter of concern for all.
He said, “To save soil, we have to focus on five main things. How to make soil chemical free. How do we save the organisms that live in the soil. How to maintain soil moisture and increase water availability in it. How to remove the damage caused to the soil due to depletion of ground-water. How to stop the continuous erosion of soil due to reduction in forest cover”.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a major campaign to give soil health cards, which greatly benefited the farmers. “Under the leadership of the PM, all the major development schemes being implemented in the country for the last nine years talk about environmental protection in one way or the other.
From modern sewage treatment plants in cities under the Swachh Bharat Mission, campaigns to get rid of single-use plastic or the campaign to clean the Ganga under Namami Gange, our country’s efforts in the field of environmental protection have been multi-faceted”, he said.
Dhami said in the direction of water conservation, the Amrit Sarovar scheme has been started across the country.