Climate change can disrupt economy : PM

New Delhi, Aug 15 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today warned against climate change causing grave harm to Indian economy which saw nearly 9 per cent growth in the last four years, and called for a national consensus to evolve effective policies to deal with the problem.

''Climate change can disrupt our economy in several ways,'' he said in his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort here on the occasion of the 62nd Independence day.

''Our ancient Himalayas are under environmental threat. If the Himalayan glaciers recede, the flow of water in our sacred rivers will go down. Some of our coastal areas could be submerged. Our monsoon pattern may change. We need long-term solutions to such threats,'' he said.

In this context, he said the government had come forward with a National Action Plan on Climate Change.

''This plan shows how each of us must adapt our ways of working and living and how we must treat our natural resources, so that our carbon emissions remain within reasonable limits and our environment is protected.'' In another context, Dr Singh pointed out that the use of atomic energy would help meet the challenge of not only energy security but also climate change.

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