ITANAGAR, 3 Jun: Environment & Forest Minister Mama Natung on Saturday said that development should not be at the cost of the environment.
Addressing participants at a state-level awareness programme, Natung termed environmental protection “one of the biggest challenges.”
Expressing concern that plastics are found everywhere, the minister said that, “though a plastic-free initiative has been launched by the Centre, the country is the largest generator of plastic waste.”
No policy or law can be successfully implemented without the support of the citizens, and awareness drives, coupled with a change in the mindset of the people, is necessary, he said.
“We cannot blame only those selling plastic items,” he said.
The state government, he said, has provided funds to the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) for setting up solid waste management plants at Chimpu and Karsingsa.
The minister also spoke on the success of the Airgun Surrender Abhiyan, saying that it has resulted in “an increase in wildlife population in the state in the last few years.”
He also praised the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) for organising the awareness programme.
Earlier, APSCW Chairperson Kenjum Pakam called for “an environmentally sound management of plastics.”
The Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board’s Environment Engineer Rajeev Kimsing spoke on the adverse effects of plastic waste on humans and animals. (PTI)
