World Environment Day: Narmada banks were full of greenery during my childhood

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Remembering his childhood days, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that he had seen lush greenery on the banks of river Narmada. It has now vanished but our efforts can save the environment. It is still not late, said Chouhan.

Chouhan was addressing children on World Environment Day at Jal Tarang Interpretation Centre developed under Bhoj Wetland project at Boat Club in Bhopal.

CM said that he did not want to get into the reasons that caused damage but during his childhood he had witnessed small waterfalls merging with river.

There was no agricultural field on banks of Narmada. It had grass and lot of trees. But everybody knows what is the condition of the banks today. It was green then and caused lots of rains besides stopping soil erosion, said Chouhan.

Chouhan said that the thoughts and sensitivity of children towards saving nature has been effectively expressed through art media. The coming generations should be aware about environment protection, which is the need of the hour.

He congratulated the children who gave the message of protecting the environment through painting.

Addressing the children, Chouhan said that it was necessary to learn various arts, enhance understanding about environment and enhance activities of personal interest.

The chief minister presented wards to winners of painting competition including Ishika Singh, Priyal Jain and Sheetal Gupta and quiz winners Atifa Naaz, Pragya Kansotia and Shikha Yadav.

Earlier, he virtually addressed a massive tree plantation programme organised by Subhash Manch in Harda under Atmanirbhar Krishak- Atmanirbhar Krishi (Self reliant farmer, self-reliant farming) on World Environment Day.

Subhash Manch has decided to plant five crore saplings in Betul, Hoshangabad, Khandwa and Sehore, Harda. For this, an agreement has also been made with Mumbai's Grow Trees company. On World Environment Day, 400 associates of Subhash Manch and 1.5 lakh farmers are planting saplings on the boundary of their private lands.