Top official holds review meeting on govt's green campaign in Konkan division

Thane, Dec 3 (PTI) Konkan Divisional Commissioner Rajesh Deshmukh on Tuesday emphasised on effective implementation of a Maharashtra government initiative on climate change and environmental sustainability in the state's coastal region.

The initiative, 'Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan' (My earth campaign), has been launched by the environment and climate change department of the state government. It aims to make citizens aware of the impacts of climate change and environmental issues and to encourage them to make a conscious effort towards improvement of the environment.

Speaking at a review meeting held on the initiative, Deshmukh called for rapid and effective implementation of the Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan in the Konkan division which comprises the districts of Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban.

The meeting, held through video conferencing, saw the participation of several key officials, an official release stated here.

Speaking further, the senior bureaucrat emphasized the need for concerted efforts to maintain a balance in the environment, highlighting that government officials must adhere to the programme's guidelines.

He pointed out that the campaign's success hinges on effective action in the five elemental components of land, air, water, fire, and sky, which form the foundation of the programme.

Sudhakar Bobde, director, Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, presented an overview of the toolkit for the 5.0 version of the campaign, which is designed around these five key elements.

The land component includes a variety of initiatives such as tree plantation, creation of nurseries, promotion of bamboo cultivation, collection of seeds, solid waste management and enforcement of a ban on single-use plastics.

The water component involves the installation of rainwater harvesting systems, groundwater recharge, wastewater treatment, and conservation of wetlands. The air element of the campaign addresses air quality monitoring, implementation of policies to curb air pollution, and climate change awareness, the release said.

The fire component encourages actions that contribute to a sustainable future such as reducing carbon emissions, implementing green street lighting, promoting green buildings, and use of cool roofing materials. The sky component seeks to increase awareness of green issues through e-oaths, competitions, and participation of environmental ambassadors, youth, self-help groups, and school students, it added. PTI COR RSY