Stop Blame Game, Take Responsibility For Climate Action: Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Uttar Pradesh government has worked to rejuvenate rivers in the state, which is why the Kumbh is seeing such large crowds.
Prayagraj, Feb 16 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said climate change is drying up rivers and urged people to act urgently instead of engaging in a blame game over carbon dioxide emissions.
Addressing a conference on climate change, environment and faith at the Maha Kumbh, he said the Uttar Pradesh government has worked to rejuvenate rivers in the state, which is why the Kumbh is seeing such large crowds.
"CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions are causing climate change, which is further drying up rivers, the lifelines of Mother Earth," he said.
"People blame each other but don't take responsibility for mitigating climate change. It's time we act collectively and individually urgently," Adityanath added. "Instead of waiting for devastation, we should make the earth green from now on. This is also the message of the Kumbh." "We have to consider the factors behind climate change along with faith and take measures to prevent it," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said at the conference.
He said the Ganga and Yamuna were not as clean 10 years ago, but his government worked to rejuvenate them.
"Because the river water is clean and arrangements are good, people are coming in large numbers to the Kumbh. Every time, 10,000 to 11,000 cusecs of water are released into the Ganga, ensuring the smooth conduct of the mela," Adityanath said.
The chief minister said that to mitigate climate change, the Narendra Modi government banned single-use plastics and provided over 10 crore free LPG connections to reduce household emissions.
The Uttar Pradesh government has planted 210 crore saplings in the last 10 years, of which 70 to 80 per cent have survived, the chief minister said, adding electric buses have been given priority over diesel-powered buses and a policy has been framed for this.
He urged people to participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign, not to encroach on rivers and to protect wildlife to "protect humanity".
Adityanath urged people not to encroach on rivers and to protect wildlife to "protect humanity".
Referring to the rising frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, he said lightning killed 90 people in a single incident near Mirzapur a few years ago. "Early warning systems have been installed, but much more needs to be done," he said.
On the occasion, the Uttar Pradesh government released the 'Mahakumbh Declaration on Climate Change' and pledged to turn religious centres and shrines in the state "green".
During his address, Adityanath expressed grief over the death of 18 people in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway station on Saturday night and also paid tributes to the deceased.
Chandra Bhushan, the president and CEO of policy think tank iFOREST, said the planet's average temperature has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial era.
"Temperatures are rising due to the continuous release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which will have catastrophic consequences in the coming years," he said.
He said science has limits in making people understand the urgency of stopping climate change, and faith can help bridge that gap.
Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said not everybody understands the Paris Agreement, 1.5 degrees Celsius or the 2 degrees Celsius goal. "Religious leaders can connect with the general public in a way that science cannot." Swami Chidanand Saraswati, the spiritual head of the Rishikesh-based Parmarth Niketan Ashram, said glaciers are melting rapidly due to climate change, while snowfall is decreasing. "If we do not act urgently, the rivers will dry up and the next Kumbh will be held on sand," he warned.
The event, a first of its kind, brought together over 30 speakers from religious institutions, government, academia, and civil society to discuss climate change and sustainable living.
Over 40 crore people, including many from abroad, are expected to visit the mela over 45 days. Seers claim that celestial alignments occurring during this event happen once every 144 years, making it even more auspicious.
Mahakumbh Nagar is the world's largest temporary city, accommodating 50 lakh to 1 crore devotees at any given time.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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