Prof Soz bats for India on environmental issue

New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz today said developed and industrialised countries cannot dictate terms to their developing counterparts on the issue of climate change as it is a global phenomenon.

Articulating in his capacity as a 'citizen' and a former Environment Minister, Prof Soz said global warming/climate change is a global issue and affects the poor and rich western world alike.

He pointed out that the developed countries which account for the emission of the majority of the greenhouse gases tend to impose terms on developing countries when it comes to undone the damage.

He said the climate across the world has undergone a sea change and several places across the globe where temperatures used to be considerably lower witnessed an unprecedented increase. ''This year Davos in Switzerland recorded 15 degrees Celsius as against minus five degrees last year. As many as 500 people have died due to a heat wave in Chicago, which was unthinkable keeping in mind the weather trends of previous years.'' He said global warming affects the entire humanity and ''the entire humanity will have to share the burden''.

He said it was the responsibility of the developed countries, who contribute the major share of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, to take the lead in fighting the potential danger. He said countries like India cannot be blamed for not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol as their share of emissions was much lower than the industrialised countries.

He said several measures were being taken by the Indian government to improve environmental conditions like introducing CNG as the fuel for public transport in metropolitan cities.

UNI