On the occasion of World Nature Conservation Day, Governor Bandaru Dattatraya extended his best wishes to the people of the State today. He urged people of the State to contribute towards the conservation of natural habitats and raise awareness and encourage actions for protecting our environment with the involvement of youngsters about the same.
He said that the world is facing several crises today because of the lack of conservation and the wasteful use of natural resources. It has become more important during this time of pandemic that we get closer to the nature and live in harmony with it. He said that it was our social responsibility to protect the environment, which is vital to sustain our lives particularly during this pandemic period.
He said that World Nature Conservation Day recognizes that a healthy environment is the foundation for a stable and productive society and to ensure the well-being of present and future generations. We all must participate to protect, conserve and sustainably manage our natural resources.
He said that we should spread awareness about the best practices to protect the natural resources as our earth does not have unlimited amount of resources such as things we need like water, trees, soil etc. It is high time we recognise that a healthy environment is necessary for healthy people and a productive society, not only during our lifetime but for the future generations as well.
He said that different Government Departments like Forest and Environment, Science and Technology and many NGOs are contributing towards conserving nature. He said that Himachal Pradesh is blessed with extreme variation in altitude ranging from 350 meter to 6,975 meters above the sea level. Total forest cover of the State is 66.52 percent of its geographical area which is home to diversified fauna. Himachal has the honour of having richest flora and fauna. There are hundreds of medicinal value plants growing naturally in various parts of the State and Himachal’s farmers have been maintaining high agro-biodiversity.
He urged people to encourage community participation in protecting, conserving and sustainable management of resources that are used things we use every day. Discourage wastage of food, water and items of regular use. Switch off lights, fans and air conditioners when not in use. He also emphasized on the need of harvesting rain water and making compost of daily vegetable peels. Those who have a green patch can try growing herbs and vegetables of daily use, he said.