World Environment Day: NGT Chairperson underlines need for environment-friendly practices

NEW DELHI: On the World Environment Day, Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal Justice Prakash Shrivastava underlined the need for environmental protection practices, such as planting trees, to restore the quality of land and build a sustainable future.

Justice Shrivastava highlighted the importance of land restoration, preventing desertification, and building drought resilience capacity, saying "Land degradation and desertification threaten our ecosystem, food security, and livelihood, especially in the face of climatic changes and increasing human or manmade interferences."

"We must commit ourselves to take up plantation of more trees, reduce water consumption and support environmental protection practices. Together, we can restore the quality of land, protect our environment and build a sustainable future for generations to come," he said in a message.

He said the quality of land was threatened because of the mismanagement in the disposal of waste, massive cutting of trees leading to desertification and disturbing integrity of soil and over-extraction of groundwater causing drought and other environmental consequences.

"By restoring degraded land, enhancing soil fertility, and fostering biodiversity, we can combat these challenging issues and improve agricultural productivity," the NGT Chairperson said.

World Environment Day is observed every year on June 5 to create awareness about environment protection and sustainable development.

"Sustainable land use practices, reforestation, and effective water management are essential to stop desertification, while building resilience against droughts requires water conservation, drought-resistant crops, and improved early warning systems," he added.

Justice Shrivastava said the most crucial aspect was enforcing environmental laws and regulations effectively.