New Delhi: Scientists claim that climate change is the biggest challenge, which the planet is facing today. And India is also facing the heat.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said that he plans to tackle this through stricter enforcement of environmental norms.
It's been only a week since he took charge but Ramesh has already visited the Wildlife Institute of India and met many officials from the forest and pollution control departments. He also visited the Project Tiger office in the Capital, the first Environment Minister to do so.
And he spelt out his priorities while speaking to NDTV.
- The minister plans to launch the Green India campaign to increase India's forest cover from 23 to 33 per cent
- Tackling River pollution, especially cleaning up the Ganga and the Yamuna will be top priority
- Making environmental norms more transparent
"Today, we have the best laws in the world but they are not being complied with or being monitored. The industry gets the clearances under the EIA, but does not fulfill the norms they have agreed to," he said.
Ramesh also plans to seek more funds for his ministry.
"I would like to see the plan allocation increase to 3000 or 3500 crore for this ministry," he said.
But top of the agenda will be India's position and negotiations with other countries to reduce green house gasses ahead of the meeting on climate change in Copenhagen later this year.