India acting responsibly to contribute to the global efforts to reduce emissions: President Patil

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has said that India is acting responsibly to contribute to the global efforts to reduce emissions as the country celebrated World Environment Day on Thursday.

New Delhi, June 5 : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has said that India is acting responsibly to contribute to the global efforts to reduce emissions as the country celebrated World Environment Day on Thursday.

The President conferred Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar to Dr. Kamal Singh, Vice Chancellor of Sant Gadge Baba Amrawati University of Maharashtra, Jagadish Babla of Uttaranchal and Dr. Amrita Patel of Gujarat for their contribution in protecting and conserving environment.

The Sant Gadge Baba Amrawati University has taken extensive afforestation programmes since 1986.

Jagdish Babla has planted about 3,20,000 trees with the help of children and youth in Dehradun District's hilly waste land for last three decades in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.

Dr. Amrita Patel set up the National Tree Growers Co-operative Federation in 1988 and has also been instrumental in setting up of the Foundation for Ecological Security in 2001, which has grown to secure the co-operation of 992 villages across seven states.

Patil also conferred class IX student Shefalika with Young Environmentalist Award for being the best participant of the 'Explore the Environment Group' during the Summer Programme, 2008.

At the award function President Patil stressed the point that India, although with no international obligations, was fulfilling its global obligation to protect environment very well.

"Even though India has no international obligation to reduce emissions, it is as a responsible member of world community that it's taking action to domestically contribute to the global efforts. Climate change is receiving high-level and focused attention in India. Prime Minister's Climate Change Council is comprehensively examining country's response to this global challenge," said Patil.

The Ministry launched the Environment Ambassador Campaign on this occasion. It also presented three books -- 'Animal Discoveries- 2007', 'Zoological Survey of India' and 'Plant Discoveries-2007', Botanical Survey of India to the President.

Whereas in Pune, Bollywood actress Vidya Balan inaugurated a temple of environment said to be the first of its kind in the world.

The temple located in Amanora Park town in the city has a tree of gold encased in glass to draw the attention of locals towards environmental protection.

"I think all of us owe it to our environment to make sure that we have a better life. I think it's a great step when you have a tree in gold to create the message of environmental protection and India being a country where gold is revered. I don't think you could have had a better way of making the point," said Vidya Balan.

The United Nations General Assembly established world Environment Day in 1972 to stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and public action.

ANI