Page 7 - National Conference of Ministers of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Ministry of Environment and Forest. This will create awareness about biodiversity among the
children and will also plant the seeds of protecting the environment. Hon’ble Prime Minister
also underlined the adoption of technology in protecting the environment.

Focusing on the alarming rate of forest fires in the western world, the Hon’ble Prime Minister
remarked that India's share in global emissions may be negligible due to wildfire, but we have
to stay alert at all times. The Prime Minister emphasized that the forest fire fighting mechanism
in every state should be technology driven and robust. The hon’ble PM also stressed the training
of our forest guards should be given special emphasis when it comes to forest fire fighting.

Pointing out the complications involved in getting environmental clearance, the Hon’ble Prime
Minister said that the development of modern infrastructure and efforts to improve the standard
of living of the countrymen is hindered. The Prime Minister gave the example of the Sardar
Sarovar Dam which was initiated in 1961 by Pandit Nehru. He pointed out that it took decades
to complete its construction due to the conspiracies carried out in the name of the environment.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the role of ‘urban naxals’ in hindering the development of
India by taking crores of rupees from different global organizations and foundations. The Prime
Minister also urged everyone to stay alert to such groups of ‘urban naxals’ in their respective
states. While recognizing the substantial improvement done in bringing down the time taken in
Environmental Clearance (EC) and Forest Clearance (FC) and the efficacy of the Parivesh
Portal, the Hon’ble Prime Minister reiterated that more than 6000 proposals for environmental
clearance and 6500 applications for forest clearance are lying with the states. The Prime Minister
also emphasized the need to bring about a change in the work environment so that the pendency
goes down and clearance is expedited. The Prime Minister further added that in giving
environmental clearance, we also take care of the rules and give priority to the development of
the people of that area.

The Hon’ble Prime Minister gave the example of the Pragati Maidan Tunnel in Delhi which was
dedicated to the nation a few weeks ago. “Due to this tunnel, the trouble of the people of Delhi
getting stuck in the jam has reduced. Pragati Maidan Tunnel will also help in saving more than
55 lakh liters of fuel every year”, he added. This will reduce carbon emissions by about 13
thousand tonnes every year which is equivalent to more than 6 lakh trees, according to experts.
“Be it flyovers, roads, expressways, or railway projects, their construction helps in reducing
carbon emissions equally. At the time of clearance, we should not ignore this angle” Hon’ble
PM said.

The Hon’ble Prime Minister emphasized the use of the Parivesh Portal, a single-window mode
for all types of clearances related to the environment while stressing its transparency and efficacy
in reducing the rush for getting approvals. “Where environment clearance used to take more than
600 days 8 years ago, it takes 75 days today”, the Prime Minister added. The Prime Minister
pointed out that the coordination in infrastructure projects has escalated while many projects
have gained momentum since the implementation of PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. The
PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is also a great tool for protecting the environment. He also
stressed the need for disaster-resilient infrastructure. The Prime Minister said that we have to
make good use of every emerging sector of the economy while facing the challenges related to
climate change. “Both the central and the state government together have to move towards a
green industrial economy”, the Prime Minister added.

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