Be a Warrior in the Movement to Protect Environment: VP to People
Hyderabad, July 16 (Maxim News): Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today said that everyone must become a warrior in the movement to protect the environment in the light of the climate crisis the world is going through. “From Panchayat to Parliament, all stakeholders must act proactively in protecting the environment”, he added.
He also stressed the need to act stringently with violators of pollution laws and consider strict enforcement of the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle.
Interacting with the trainees at Swarna Bharat Trust, here today, the Vice President said that in the light of these worrisome trends, it is imperative for us to co-exist harmoniously with nature and protect the environment to ensure the well-being of all. Going forward, the Vice President suggested that it is extremely important to balance our developmental needs with environmental protection. “It cannot be business as usual”, he stressed.
Recalling the importance given to nature in Indian civilisation, the Vice President said that we should act as ‘trustees’ to our natural environment, as Gandhiji advised. He noted India’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement, leadership in forging the International Solar Alliance and called for even greater substantive global efforts towards mitigating climate change.
The Vice President also underscored how environment and health are deeply intertwined. “Studies have revealed that spending time in nature lowers blood pressure, reduces stress and enhances emotional well-being. Being close to nature leaves us rejuvenated”, he noted. He called for creating awareness from a young age on the need to live in harmony with nature. “It was also found that children who received outdoor training were more satisfied and emotionally well-balanced. Every school should make outdoor activities like gardening and trekking an integral part of the curriculum”, he emphasized.
Speaking to the young trainees at the Trust, Naidu expressed concern about the increasing cases of myopia among children. He referred to his interaction with experts at the L V Prasad Eye Institute and cautioned that, according to experts, 64 million children living in urban areas in the country are likely to have myopia by 2050 if no anti-myopia measures are initiated soon.
Referring to the experts’ opinion that current digital-ecosystem and the indoor-centric lifestyle were possible reasons for the increasing cases of myopia among children, the Vice President called for implementing the experts’ advice of making outdoor play time of one hour mandatory in all schools.
Addressing the trainees, Naidu suggested that skill development and skill upgradation are necessary in the new job market in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. He noted that the New Education Policy is in tune with these emerging demands of the economy and called upon the industry to join hands with the government to train and upskill the youth. “A skilled workforce is critical to India’s accelerated growth in the coming years”, Shri Naidu observed.
G.N. Rao, founder of LV Prasad Eye Institute, Dr. Prashant Garg, senior ophthalmologist from LV Prasad Eye Institute, Chigurupati Krishna Prasad, President of Swarna Bharat Trust, Bhadrareddy, Treasurer of Mallareddy Educational Institutions, students undergoing training at Swarna Bharat Trust and others were present during the event. (Maxim News)
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