Mukherjee urges developed nations to share burden of fighting pollution

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today urged the industrialized nations to share the burden of developing new technologies to fight pollution and global warming.

New Delhi, June 5 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today urged the industrialized nations to share the burden of developing new technologies to fight pollution and global warming.

Speaking on the sidelines of a function to mark the 'World Environment Day' Mukherjee said developed countries should help less developed and developing countries to evolve environmental-friendly technologies to cut emissions."The industrialized countries have polluted and disturbed the ecological balance. Therefore they must share the burden of new technologies being evolved by the developing countries, so that the development and environment protection go side by side," he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that her government is making efforts to increase the green cover in the national capital.

"We are working here on 100-200 acres of land for the last four- five years. Few years back, there was not even a single plant on this land but gradually the situation is changing," she said.

"We select a patch of land every year and plant seven to eight thousand plants on it with the help of school children, NCC student, NGOs (Non Government Organisation) and Government workers. In the next two to three years this land will turn in to a big forest," added Dikshit.

Major developing nations such as China, India and Brazil are under pressure to agree on targets to cut emissions and to start talks on shaping the next phase of the U.N. Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which runs out in 2012.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty designed to limit global greenhouse gas emissions mainly from burning of fossil fuels.

ANI