Sustainable development possible only in pollution-free system: Gujarat CM

“Along with development, Gujarat is concerned about its environment. The government is also so concerned about water. Sustainable development is only possible when a pollution-free system exists,” Vijay Rupani said.

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Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was speaking on the sidelines of an event organised in the state capital Gandhinagar to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Gujarati poet Jhaverchand Meghani, who was also given the title of "Rashtriya Shayar." (File Photo)

Chief minister Vijay Rupani talked about his government’s plan to develop Nargol port on the sidelines of the inauguration of ‘Van Mahotsav’ in Valsad district on Saturday. Rupani said, “A mega port will be developed and this entire area will be well developed and employment will be generated. The government has moved ahead with this Nargol port project. If anybody has a problem and if it is genuine, our doors are open. The government will not come under any pressure of false talks. We will give importance to development.”

Nargol village panchayat had in July, passed a resolution to oppose the port project.

In Valsad, Rupani inaugurated a “Maruti Nandan Van” — an urban forest where 91,000 saplings have been planted over four hectares at Kalgam, near the Nargol beach where the state government is planning to build a greenfield port. “Last year, we had built a “Ram Van” in Rajkot… This was inaugurated on the day when the work of building the Ram temple in Ayodhya began,” Rupani said.

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Speaking at the event Rupani said, development is possible in Gujarat only if a “pollution-free” system exists.

“Along with development, Gujarat is concerned about its environment. The government is also so concerned about water. Sustainable development is only possible when a pollution-free system exists,” Rupani said.

Rupani said under the forest department’s social forestry programme — aimed at increasing tree-cover outside forest areas — the state government has targeted to have 50 crore trees. “In the past, there were only 25 crore trees (in 2003), that were part of forest department’s social forestry programme. Now we have increased it to 35 crore trees. There is a 15 per cent growth,” he claimed.

Ganpat Vasava, state Forest Minister, said the state government has built 20 such urban forests in the state since 2003 when the government began celebrating Van Mahotsav.

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