International Biodiversity Day is about need to create environmental consciousness: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 22 : Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Monday said that International Biodiversity Day is about the need to create environmental consciousness.

"We often take the best from the environment but give back waste, with development our consumption increases. If we encourage unnecessary consumption, one earth will not be enough. In the years to come, we need to pave the way for the conservation of biodiversity along with development," Yadav said while speaking at a function held to celebrate the International Day of Biological Diversity in Mumbai.

On the occasion, Bhupendra Yadav also proposed setting up People's Biodiversity Registers in every village under Mission Life.

Congratulating the Maharashtra Government for its unique gene bank initiative. Yadav said, "The Western Ghats situated in Maharashtra are rich in biodiversity. There are six National Parks, forty-eight Wildlife Sanctuaries and three Ramsar Sites in Maharashtra. Therefore there could not have been a better place to celebrate the International Day of Biodiversity."

He also mentioned that the Ministry plans on combining the celebrations of World Environment Day with Mission Life.

He further stated that millets are important to reduce nutritional deficiency.

"Millets promotes 'Vocal for local'. It is a crop that is suited to the Indian climate and soil. Along with being drought resistant millets are important to reduce nutritional deficiency. The Biodiversity Board has given special importance to millets. This aims to enable access and benefit sharing with vulnerable communities," he said.

Bhupendra Yadav reiterated that the protection of the environment is an article of faith for the country.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that we have access to natural resources because our previous generation protected them. And it is our duty to protect them for future generations. That is the most important message for today," he said.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, "If we protect the environment, the environment in return will protect us. If we don't give back as much as we take from the environment, the balance in nature will be destroyed and we will have to face natural disasters. If nature survives, we survive and the earth survives."

On the occasion, Two publications of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change namely, 'Biodiversity Heritage Sites of India' and 'Other Effective Area-Based Management' were released by the dignitaries on the occasion.

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