Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore has become a model city of the country in the field of environmental improvement, conservation and waste management as appreciable work is being done in the city in these fields. There is also visible improvement in the air quality of the city, said Dr Afroz Ahmed, principal member of National Green Tribunal (NGT) while addressing the meeting of the District Level Environment Committee held at the Collector office here on Saturday. He cautioned that no compromise should be made in the field of environmental improvement. Environment is our common heritage. Compromising environmental protection is a crime, said he.
Dr Ahmed added that now the city must focus on groundwater and take steps to raise its groundwater level.
Collector Asheesh Singh, Indore Municipal Corporation commissioner Harshika Singh, District Panchayat chief executive officer Siddharth Jain and officials of related departments were present in the meeting.
Dr Ahmed took information about the progress of the work done under the environment plan of the district. Talking about the district-level environment plan he said it has an important role in the field of environmental improvement, conservation and waste management and said that under the environment plan, better work is being done in the district. He said now along with cities, gram panchayats have also been included in the plan so as to take a holistic approach towards environmental protection.
Dr Ahmad suggested that a committee should be formed to monitor ponds and it must be ensured that the pond land remains encroachment-free. Maintaining the groundwater level is the biggest challenge for us. He said that work should be continuously done to improve the groundwater level. He also gave instructions to compulsorily develop green belts in new colonies and added that useful plants should be planted in the green belt. He suggested that care must be taken that stubble is not burnt and that new buildings should have provision for water recharge and added that efforts should be made to plant trees in front of newly constructed buildings.
