Trees give people life-saving oxygen and preserve the ozone layer, Amit Shah said. (File)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said climate change has impacted the world and only greenery is the solution to this crisis.
Launching a tree plantation campaign (Vriksharopan Abhiyan) of the Ministry of Coal, he said the Indian culture has emphasised that one must not exploit nature but instead must support it.
Mr Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of six eco-parks and tourism sites, according to a home ministry statement.
The tree plantation campaign was conducted at more than 130 locations spread in 38 districts of 10 coal and lignite-bearing states across India through video conference.
Climate change has impacted the world and only greenery is the solution to this crisis, he said.
"The focal mantra of Indian heritage has been that we should harness natural resources and not exploit them. We ignored this principle at our own peril, leading to depletion of the ozone layer and forming ozone holes, which in turn resulted in global warming and climate change," he said.
The home minister said there is only one solution to this problem, one that has been mentioned in the "Puranas" (ancient scriptures) by sages, that trees are friends of mankind and only greenery can get people out of this crisis.
Trees give people life-saving oxygen, help reduce carbon footprint and preserve the ozone layer, he said.
Mr Shah said there are many tree species that can serve mankind for 100-150 years and "Peepul" is among the trees that gives 100 per cent oxygen.
The home minister said the coal sector today is not only ready to fulfil the growing demand for coal but is equally sensitive towards environmental stability.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is promoting reclamation and afforestation in the various coal-bed regions, he said.
The prime minister has set up a district mineral fund with a corpus of Rs 39,000 crore for the development of the mining areas, and 35,000 minor projects have been completed, Mr Shah said.
He emphasised that the coal sector is an important pillar of India's economy and will continue to retain its significance in the times to come.
Several initiatives have been undertaken by the Ministry of Coal towards "Ease of doing Business" and "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" under the leadership of the prime minister, Mr Shah said.
In pursuit of the prime minister's Aatmanirbhar campaign, India is moving towards bringing coal imports down to zero. The government has set an ambitious target of producing one billion tonnes of coal annually by 2023-24.
"Coal PSUs and captive miners have also launched steps to enhance production, while an investment of Rs 1,25,000 crore is envisaged under the Infrastructure Investment Scheme during the period 2020-24 for which 534 projects have been identified," Mr Shah said.