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Young Bites. Dated: 7/5/2019 10:47:30 AM
Love nature, plant trees to fight pollution: Balkar Singh
Balkar Singh—an environmentalist and a poet—from village Badhori in Samba district during conversation with Young Bites correspondent Pooja Thakur shares his valuable thoughts and ideas to preserve ponds and nature.
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Q. When did you opted environmentalist as career? BS: In 2001 when an institution JNK Paryavaran started a fight against pollution and launched plantation drive in J&K then I got attracted towards this and decided to work to preserve environment. I joined JNK Paryavaran as WCT then I realized that human existence depends upon neat and clean environment which we have destroyed and are still destroying. Q. How did you made people aware regarding environment? BS: Earlier it was very tough to make people aware regarding environment but due to increase in literacy rate the people slowly started learning a lot about the environment. Today even a small child studying in class 5th can tell you a lot regarding various types of pollutions and particularly regarding ‘global warming’. The masses are now getting aware and are coming forward to join plantation drives etc. Q. Does government provides enough sources for protecting environment? BS: Government has to work at ground level. It has to invest a lot in preserving environment as well as proper education has to be provided at school levels to make next generation aware enough to protect environment. The government has spent crores on advertisements regarding ill-effects of polythene carry bags but people are still using them. In such circumstances government must act tough when it comes to preserve environment. The trees are being fallen frequently in Jammu region and the mountains have started giving a barren look, who is responsible? The government has to put a check on all these activities which are destroying the nature and are adding more to global warming and other environmental pollutions. Mere advertisements and photo shoots will not work. Q. What kind of work you are doing now? BS: We are now working on rain water harvesting as season cycle is all set to change and Monsoon can knock at any time. Rain water harvesting is very important as the ground water level is depleting rapidly. If we will succeed in harvesting rain water we will be able to raise the ground water level to some extent. In Kandi areas we can build check dams to harvest rain water, we have to preserve all ponds for the same purpose. There are many types of projects through which can be easily harvest rain water even in our homes. It is the duty of the government to make people aware regarding such projects. Message: Plant more trees as it the only way to survive on earth.