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New Delhi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah planted a sapling of the ‘peepal’ tree on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Campus in Gurugram, Hsarysansa, on July 12, 2020, to mark launch of the CAPFs nationwide tree plantation drive. Speaking on the occasion, Shah said, “I applaud our CAPFs Jawans who are not only providing security to the nation but have also undertaken this massive campaign to plant more than 1.37 crore saplings of long lasting trees across the country this massive care than 1.37 crore saplings of long lasting trees across the country.”
Shah said the CAPF personnel are not only providing security at various locations across the country such as airports, and railway stations and fighting the scourge of terrorism, but are also contributing in the nation’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Paying tributes to the more than 31 CAPF Coronoa Warriors who have lost their lives to the pandemic, he said their sacrifice will not go in vain and the contribution of the CAPFs will be etched in gold when the battle against COVID19 is recalled.
Shah said this tree plantation campaign is being undertaken at a time when the world is facing this pandemic. He said the battle against COVID-19 is being carried out under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi with people’s participation. Today India is leading a successful fight in managing the pandemic in the country. At a time when the health services of even the most developed countries were collapsing under its impact, the whole world was concerned how would India, a big densely populated country with a federal structure, fight this pandemic, but today the most successful fight against this pandemic has been fought in India.
Shah said we are on a strong pedestal in the fight against COVID-19 under the leadership of the Prime Minister with the motto ‘One People, One Thought, One Nation’.
The Home Minister said across the world only governments are fighting this pandemic, but here in India, 130 crore people besides State Governments are united in fighting this threat. Nowhere across the country is there is a state of panic, in fact we are committed in facing this challenge and are resolute in overcoming this pandemic. Shah, quoting from an ancient Hindu text, said a tree is worth more than ten sons.
Emphasisaing on the important role played by trees in reducing pollution, Shah said that various varieties of saplings have been chosen in this plantation drive such as peepal, jamun, neem, vatavriksh, burgud based on their oxygen giving capability and abilities to survive in different seasons. He said several programmes are being run on environmental protection but only tree plantation can check pollution and save the Earth, according to as PIB relesae.
Shah said that PM Narendra Modi hsad participated in the Paris World Environment Summit where he cautioned the world against over exploitation of Nature and the world accepted the Modi Formula in the Paris Declaration on tackling Climate Change. As a result of the Prime Minister’s efforts, the International Solar Alliance was set up in India, he said. During Narendra Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister, Gujarat became the first state in India where a separate department was set up on environmental protection. The Prime Minister has also stressed on use of green fuels and has encouraged the use of ethanol blended petrol,
The CAPFs (Assam Rifles, BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, NSG and SSB) have initiated this tree plantation drive since February, 2020, with an aim to plant more than 1.37 crore trees during this year. A timetable was drawn up on the appropriate species to be planted in specified sectors and a nodal officer appointed for the purpose. It was decided that as far as possible local species should be planted and at least half of the total plantation be constituted of long lasting trees with a lifecycle of 100 years or more.