Nirmala Sitharaman calls for people’s movement to protect environment

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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and environmentalist R.K. Nair during the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ plantation programme at Kudligi in Vijayanagara on Friday (June 5). | Photo Credit: ANI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday (June 5) called for making environmental conservation a way of life rather than a one-day observance, warning that unchecked ecological degradation could threaten the very survival of life on earth.

Participating in the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ plantation programme organised at Chikkajogihalli village in Kudligi taluk, Vijayanagara, on the occasion of World Environment Day, Ms. Sitharaman said the prosperity of humanity depended on preserving nature, wildlife and greenery.

“If nature turns hostile, the entire ecosystem will be endangered and the earth could gradually turn into a desert. Planting and nurturing trees should become an integral part of our daily lives,” she said.

The Minister said the environmental consciousness displayed by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who regularly plants saplings, should inspire citizens across the country. She also stressed the need to attract younger generations back to agriculture through multi-cropping systems and technology-driven farming practices to strengthen rural economies.

Referring to the Miyawaki forest model developed in Kutch by environmentalist R.K. Nair in memory of children who lost their lives in the Gujarat earthquake, Ms. Sitharaman said a similar scientific afforestation initiative was being undertaken at Chikkajogihalli with climate-suitable species. The project, she said, would develop into a dense forest within a short period and stand as a lasting tribute to mothers for decades.

She directed the district administration to install stone plaques bearing the names of children who plant saplings so that future generations could remain connected to the initiative.

The Minister also lauded ongoing water conservation efforts in Kudligi taluk aimed at rejuvenating w