PM to launch Green India campaign on Aug 15

New Delhi, July 13: The high power National Council on Climate Change chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today decided to launch Green India campaign on August 15 with the major focus on afforestation. The council also decided to prepare a national strategy paper on climate change by October and November. The job will be done by a sub-committee consisting of Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government R Chidambaram, Director General of TERI R K Pachauri and Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest.

The commitee, set up about a couple of months ago, has Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Finance, Minister of Energy, Minister of Environment, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Mr R Chidambaram, Mr Pachauri and Mr Nitin Desai as its members.

It was also decided that government would fund the research on the melting of Himalayan glaciers, their effect on agriculture and rivers.

Members of Commitee stressed the need to pump in more investment in environmental reasearch. They also emphasised on the need to develop public transport to lessen the number of private vehicles for checking pollution.

UNI