NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expressed concern over climate change and called for protection of the environment by planting more trees. Climate change has impacted the world and only greenery is the solution to this crisis, he said.
“In the blind race of development, we forget the mantra of Indian culture that nature is our mother and it cannot be exploited. This is the reason why the temperature of the earth is increasing and the climate has been badly affected. The world is afraid of climate change,” said Shah.
Shah was launching “Tree Plantation Drive-2020” (Vriksharopan Abhiyan) of the Ministry of Coal under which thousands of saplings will be planted across 10 states in the country.
Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of six eco-parks and tourism sites.The tree plantation campaign was conducted at more than 130 locations spread in 38 districts of 10 coal and lignite-bearing states across India through video conference.
“The focal mantra of Indian heritage has been that we should harness natural resources and not exploit them.
We ignored this principle at our own peril, leading to depletion of the ozone layer and forming ozone holes, which in turn resulted in global warming and climate change,” he said.
Shah said there is only one solution to this problem, one that has been mentioned in the “Puranas” by sages, that trees are friends of mankind and only greenery can get people out of this crisis. Trees give people life-saving oxygen, help reduce carbon footprint and preserve the ozone layer, he said.
Man held for posing as Amit Shah’s secretary
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly posing as a personal secretary of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, officials said on Thursday.
The man arrested by the Crime Branch has been identified as Sandeep Choudhary, who is a resident of Teh Mundawar in Alwar district of Rajasthan, according to police officials.
He was arrested after the Crime Branch registered a case based on a complaint by the home ministry, police said. According to the complaint, a man posing as a personal secretary of Shah had called up the Rajasthan Labour Minister Tikaram and his Haryana counterpart Anoop Dhanak to get somebody employed.