GREATER NOIDA, Aug 18: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday urged Central Armed Police Forces’ personnel to make environment protection an essential part of their lives as a countrywide plantation drive of the forces reached the four-crore mark with the minister planting a sapling here.
Shah said he trusts that these security forces, more than 10 lakh personnel in collective strength, will ensure that the target of planting 5 crore saplings across the country is met by the end of this year.
He watered a ‘peepal’ (Ficus religiosa) tree after putting some soil on the sapling and later e-inaugurated 15 newly constructed buildings that have been built in eight different campuses of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the country’s largest CAPF or paramilitary force with about 3.25 lakh personnel.
Shah launched the ‘environment protection’ themed plantation drive by the CAPFs’ on July 12, 2020, from a CRPF camp in Gurugram, Haryana and all the forces under the command of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were tasked to plant trees, which have a long life of 60-70 years, in their area of deployment.
These forces included the CRPF, Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Security Guard (NSG), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Assam Rifles.
Shah said when he planned this initiative there were doubts in some quarters if these figures of plantation could be achieved. Still, the CAPFs and other forces under the MHA made it possible as they undertook this mega mission which can be called a ‘Maha Kumbh’ for environment protection and conservation.
“As you have made bravery and country’s security your nature, I urge you to similarly make environment protection your way of life,” he told the jawans at a CRPF camp here.
This way, he said, you will ensure oxygen for future generations and help in minimising the damage to the environment and damage to the ozone layer, he said.
The increase in temperature will not keep life safe on earth and the only solution is to plant more and more trees and lessen carbon dioxide emissions, Shah said.
He said climate change and global warming were a reality as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking initiatives in this context that helped India become a “leader” in this fight to save the environment from harmful gases and human activities.
Shah said this was also the reason that India kept the G20 Summit theme as ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
India is hosting the G20 Leaders’ Summit next month in Delhi under its presidency.
He said various initiatives steered or launched by PM Modi like the International Solar Alliance, Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) and as many as eight national missions for the environment were a testimony of his government’s resolve for this subject.
Due to these initiatives, the UN honoured PM Modi with the ‘Champion of the Earth’ award, Shah said.
The work done in this domain by the CAPFs will be remembered as their “legacy” and it is a fact that they not only protect the lives of the citizens of this country but also improve their lives by contributing to this cause, he said.
The projects inaugurated by Shah for the CRPF include jawan barracks, a hospital and other infrastructure.
The heads of all the forces under the MHA were present during the event. (Agencies)
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