Minimizing the carbon emission level in the air is the crying need of the hour keeping in view the fact that the Air Quality Index (AQI) of some of cities of Odisha has also reached an alarming proportion, said Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia, Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change on Monday.

Inaugurating the 4th Climate Change Conference organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Odisha Branch, Minister Singkhuntia said that like all other countries of the world, India is also experiencing vagaries of climate change or global warming. Devastating heat, heavy rains and frequent cyclones are disrupting livelihoods.

The biggest issue facing society at present is climate change or global warming. Its consequences on human society are very alarming and its impact on agriculture and environment is quite harmful. It is very important to protect water, forest and land resources from the adverse effects of climate change, said Singkhuntia, Minister of Forest.

It is encouraging that 52 million trees have been planted in our state under the ‘Ek Ped, Ma’ke Naam’ campaign, which has become the highest in the country. Environmental pollution can be prevented by creating forest cover. Land reclamation is a major challenge today. Rapid urbanization, expansion of industrialization and increase in mining are making land reclamation difficult. We all need to be committed to stopping land degradation, improving soil health and managing waste effectively. A sustainable climate program in the state will be possible with the joint efforts of the agriculture, transport, steel and mines and forest departments.

India has now emerged as the fifth largest economy in the world and is set to become the third largest economy by 2030. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of making Odisha a developed state by 2036. Odisha will be the best state in the Eastern zone. To achieve this great milestone, we will have to collectively tackle the threat of climate change, so that future generations can benefit, said the Forest Minister.

Due to the rapid increase in population, our country is likely to be more affected by climate change. Problems like land reclamation, water scarcity, food security etc. have become urgent today and these problems will become even more acute in the coming decades. Therefore, emphasis should be laid on improving the ecosystem and using technology in the agricultural sector, said A. T. Mishra, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Among others Prem Kumar Jha, Director, Environment and Special Secretary, Dr. K. Murugesan, Member Secretary, Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Dr. N. R. Sahu, Coordinator, ESH Committee, ICC Odisha State Council, Rajiv Sahu, Chairman, ICC Odisha State Council, Rajesh Kanungo, Member, ESH Committee, ICC Odisha State Council, Prabodh Mohanty, Managing Director, SNMM Group of industries, Dr. Malay Kumar Pradhan, Deputy Director, Directorate of Factories and Boilers also spoke on the occasion.