Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government is in the process of making necessary changes in rules and regulations to control pollution
Ratnagiri: Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government is in the process of making necessary changes in rules and regulations to control pollution.
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"As many as 64 government officers gave us suggestions about proper implementation of various policies regarding pollution control. We are making necessary changes in rules and regulations to control pollution," Javadekar told reporters after launching the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign here.
"We have detected 17 highly polluted locations and initially 3,000 industries have been selected for installation of pollution control devices for proper effluent discharge," he said.
The same exercise will be followed for all industries in the country, he added. Stressing that no damage to the environment will be allowed, he said proper action will be taken against those causing pollution.
Javadekar also said that satellite images of rivers will be used to locate points for sand extraction and assured that no damage to the rivers will be allowed. On the action being taken against use of plastic bags, the Minister said plastic bags measuring 40 microns and below in width are totally banned and added that the pollution control department has been instructed to immediately seize the stock of such bags found anywhere.
Clean air, clean water, clean power, and green surroundings are the four major tasks determined by the environment ministry, he said while seeking people's participation to achieve the target. Later, the minister participated in a road cleaning drive along with students.
Earlier, nearly 5,500 students from 21 schools in Ratnagiri district sung the 'Swachh Bharat ka irada kar liya hamne' song, composed by noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi for the Centre's Clean India campaign.
On the revelations by former Congress Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, Javadekar said the NDA government was looking into her allegations to find out what kind of extraneous influence was there on those files.
"We are looking into those allegations (by Natarajan) as 'what kind of extraneous influence was. was it on only few cases or was there were many?" he said. Union Environment minister said Natarajan's revelations were "serious things" which clearly showed that the orders were coming from the office of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
"What Jayanti Natarajan has revealed are definitely serious things that showed very clearly that the Prime Minister was in office, but not in power because the orders were coming from 10, Janpath - Rahul Gandhi's office that's what she has mentioned," he stated. He, however, clarified that there was no requirement of committee, as it was not an enquiry.
On JD(U) blaming BJP for the political turmoil in Bihar, Javadekar said, "What BJP has got to do with it? Bihar's CM does not belong to BJP. They made him the captain of the ship.
When Nitish Bhai (former CM Nitish Kumar) was trapped in the whirpool, he handed over the reins in the hands of Manjhi. If their relations have soured, what can we do?" He said all the Chief Ministers come and meet Modi and even Siddaramaiah had met the PM during his visit to Delhi.
On the exit polls predicting the rout of BJP in Delhi, Javadekar said, "Exit polls are exit polls. It's an evolving science but the exit polls are exit polls, not exact polls. Exact polls will take place tomorrow."
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