Roorkee(The Hawk): With the objective to sensitize people to save the environment, a 14-member team on a cycle tour under the leadership of well-known environmentalist Padma Bhushan Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi was given a grand welcome at IIT Roorkee today. It is worth mentioning that with the aim of creating awareness about protection of nature and environment among the general public, Dr. Joshi is on a cycle journey of about 2500 km from the country's financial capital Mumbai to the ecological capital Dehradun from October 2 to November 9. Dr. Joshi said that with the objective of taking a national initiative to establish economic and ecological coordination, this journey through seven states of the country is in its final stage and has reached now at Roorkee today. On the occasion of the foundation day of Uttarakhand on 9th November, this yatra will culminate in Dehradun, the capital of the state. Dr Joshi apprised that during the Yatra, more than 50 thousand people were contacted and by addressing more than 30 big and more than 80 small seminars, people were motivated for sustainable development in harmony with nature. He is addressing thousands of people and students on the way, sensitizing them on Climate issues and Gross Environment Product, a newer development measurement criteria now officially adopted by the Govt of Uttarakhand.
On this occasion an interactive session on “Climate Issues and Gross Environment Product” was organized by National Service Scheme (NSS), IIT Roorkee. Addressing the program, Padma Bhushan Dr. Joshi, a well-known environmentalist and member, Board of Governors, IIT Roorkee said that undoubtedly tall buildings are needed for progress, but we should not forget the contribution of high trees for the development. He further said that for the sustainable development, the coordination and balance with nature is essential otherwise the period of one-sided development may not be sustainable. He said that human interventions are responsible for poisonous air and polluted rivers. We people are the culprit for that. If we do not stop the over exploitation of nature with time, then the day is not far when we will have to depend on bottled oxygen like water! He said that on November 9, on the occasion of Uttarakhand Day, the 40-day cycle yatra would culminate in Dehradun.