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Bengal

CM's walk for environment

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee participated in a walk titled "Save Green, Stay Clean" on Thursday to create awareness on environment.

It started from Birla Planetarium and concluded at Nazrul Mancha.

The Chief Minister has over and over again expressed her concern about the conservation of the environment.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, she said that the forest cover in Bengal has gone up to 19 percent from 2011's 14 percent and added that the "Save Green, Stay Clean" movement would be observed on August 1 every year and programmes will be held up to the block level. Chief Secretary Malay De, Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay along with a host of dignitaries took part.

Earlier, she took part in a rally from Birla Planetarium to Nazrul Mancha via AJC Bose Road, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Road, Southern Avenue to reach the venue where a programme was held. It was attended by school and college students, representatives and people from all walks of life. Director General of Police Virendra, Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma, Mayor Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, the state Sports and Youth Affairs minister and state Power minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay also walked in the rally.

The programme was organised by the state Forest department.

"Creating green and clean Bengal is our dream. If each one of us plants a sapling, then 10 crore saplings can be planted within a short time. Just as the "Safe Drive, Save Life" programme has successfully reduced the number of road accidents, sustained campaign to conserve nature will certainly create an impact on the people," she maintained. "Our Chief Secretary and Kalyan Rudra, chairman, Pollution Control Board, have told me that a slew of measures have been taken and we are going to get its benefit within a year."

The state Health department has brought out an app providing information on snake bite. "Snakebite is a menace in several areas. Earlier, we were told that before a snake-bitten patient is taken to the hospital, one should tie the affected area tightly with a cloth but now the doctors are saying that two wooden planks should be placed around the affected portion and bandage should be done loosely. The app will help people to combat this menace," she maintained.

She also added that controlling air and noise pollution is very important. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has proposed to give electric ovens to the owners of roadside food stalls to replace the conventional coke ovens. She urged the cooperation from hawkers as well. Banerjee asked the police to control the sound of the sirens fitted on ambulances. "There are ambulances that blow the sirens producing horrific sound in turn. I have seen ambulances blowing the sirens even when they are not carrying patients. I urge the police to frame a policy in the matter and reduce the intensity of the sound."

Banerjee said saplings should be distributed among school and college students as part of the awareness campaign. "We must learn to respect Mother Nature and must remember that if we do not respect her, she will hit back violently. The way global warming is taking place and drinking water scarcity are going up, we are really scared and time has come when we all will have to fight to conserve nature."

She presented saplings to noted litterateur Abul Basar, Raj Chakraborty, film director, footballer Manas Bhattacharya among others.

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