CGPWA holds lecture on environment for destitute students
24/05/2025
Jammu, May 24 (KIP)-The Central Govt Pensioners’ Welfare Association, Jammu (CGPWA) in collaboration with the BALRAN today organised an interactive lecture on Environment Protection and Sustainable Development for Inmates of BALRAN. The Life member of CGPEA & former Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, S D Swatantra IFS (Retd) delivered an illuminating lecture on this important theme. This was the ninth lecture under the initiative of CGPWA to use the talent of former senior civil servants to upgrade the knowledge of the destitute students.
Talking about the importance of protecting the environment while working for sustainable development, Swatantra said that the role of youth in protecting a reasonably good environment is immensely important and as such they should understand this global issue relevant to the survival of humanity. He explained five components of the environment which he named as land, water, air, living organisms, and human-made structures and modifications to the environment. These components, he said, are interconnected and interact with each other to form ecosystems and influence life on earth. Over the years, these components have come under huge pressure and threatened our ecosystem. He said, the time has come to restore this ecosystem and for this, understanding of the dangers looming large on mankind, and cooperation of all sections of society, especially the youth, are vital.
Swatantra also explained the background of launching of Sustainable Development by the United Nations in 2015 and said that these 17 goals are critical to address global challenges and promote sustainable development by 2030. These goals aimed to end poverty and hunger, improve health and education, reduce inequality, tackle climate change, and protect the planet. He said that the Govt of India has formulated an Action Plan to achieve the SDGs and so far, good work has been done on these SDGs, adding that according to Niti Ayog, India has registered 70 percent achievements on these. What we need is the partnership for effective results. He also explained the growing cause of concern on burning of ‘parali’ in agricultural fields, dwindling of forests, forest fires, unchecked air pollution in cities, use of nonbiodegradable polyethene is very harmful for our environment and must be discouraged in our daily life.
It was followed by a question-answer session and students evinced keen interest in understanding solutions to the environmental concerns. The President of BALGRAN Vinod Raina IFS ( retd) and General Secretary Prof R D Sharma, former Vice Chancellor moderated the interactive session.
Those present on the occasion included General Secretary CGPWA K B Jandial, Treasurer O P Sharma, Prem Gupta, V K Padha of CPPWA, Chief Patron BALGRAN Er. A K Arora, Patron Er. A K Khajuria Er. Vinod Gupta, Er. H C Jerath, Er. Ravinder Gupta, Er. Purshottam Kohli, Director School, Sadhna Kachru, Advisor School Urmil Arora & Principal Neelam Sharma