The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) on the occasion of the World Environment Day reminded people about the importance of nature and action for the protection of our environment. The World Environment Day is celebrated on 5th June every year where the NVCO observes week-long observation of the event by way of conducting awareness programme in schools, colleges and churches but due to pandemic, the NVCO could not conduct any physical awareness programme this year and even the global official celebrations held on 4-5 June could only be conducted through a Virtual Launch Gala welcoming the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the event includes inspiring messages from world leaders, activists, celebrities and musical performances as well as Pakistan’s host country programme.
NVCO President & environment activist Kezhokhoto Savi stated that the ‘World Environment Day’ is celebrated across the globe to tell people that nature should not be taken for granted and must be respected for its values. Savi further stated that the time has come for us to develop a sense of urgent need to protect our environment as well as a sense of hope for its future. Plenty of damage has been done to the earth, the more is inflicted every day. “This land is your land, this land is my land”. What land belongs in the hands of private owners, and what land should remain open to the public for all to enjoy. Land is one of the world’s most important natural resources. NVCO stated that it was also disheartening to learn that Nagaland was among ‘the worst performing States and UTs” as per the assessment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index and Dashboard 2020-21 where it is tabulated annually by NITI Aayog in order to evaluate the progress of states and union territories on the basis of social, economic and environment criteria.
The theme for World Environment Day is “Ecosystem Restoration” which means assisting in the recovery or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. Healthier ecosystem, with riches biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases. Ecosystem Restoration can take many forms; growing trees, greening cities, rewinding gardens, changing diets, cleaning up rivers and coasts. Forests and trees provide us with clean air and water, capture vast amounts of climate-heating carbon. For rivers and lakes, freshwater ecosystem supply food, water and energy to billions of people, protect unique habitat for many plants and animals, including one-third of all vertebrate species. Mountains harbour most of Earth’s biodiversity hotspot and supply fresh water to an estimated half of humanity. They include multitude of ecosystems providing a home to unique species such as leopards and mountain gorillas, as well as great cultural diversity among people adapted to the challenged of mountain life.
An environment activist, Kezhokhoto Savi said that we are failing on our part in replacing the trees that we have cut or cleared the thick forest/jungle around us either for development or construction of roads and in order to fight for the menace of global warming, vigorous efforts should be made such as to discourage activities or development or business such as stone quarry, stone crusher, etc. which caused damages to environment. Water shortage has also being highlighted where it stated that an abundant of safe, clean water is a necessity for all life. NVCO called for the protection rivers and their related ecosystems as well as searching for new sources of water, even in the form of preserving trees in the jungle and rocks in the rivers, as we can assure ourselves of a substantial supply of this crucial substance in the future while still protecting important fish and wildlife habitat. The Organisation urged upon everyone to save the land to save the people.
(DIPR)