President Murmu reminds responsibility to pass on clean environment to next generation

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday called for nurturing and protecting the environment for the next generation, saying it is a "moral responsibility" of parents towards their children.

Inaugurating a two-day National Conference on 'Environment – 2025', the President said, "It is our moral responsibility to provide a legacy of a clean environment to the coming generations. For this, we will have to adopt an environmentally conscious and sensitive lifestyle so that the environment is not only protected but also enhanced."

She called for actions with which the environment can become more vibrant and said, "Balancing clean environment and modern development is both an opportunity and a challenge."

The President said: "We all have to make India a developed nation by 2047 with clean air, water, greenery, and prosperity that would attract the entire world community."

She highlighted that elders in every family worry about which school or college their children will study in, and what career they will choose. "This worry is justified," the President said.

"But, we all must also think about what kind of air our children will breathe, what kind of water they will get to drink, whether they will be able to hear the sweet sounds of birds or not, whether they will be able to experience the beauty of lush green forests or not," the President said.

She said that these topics have economic, social, and scientific aspects, but the most important thing is that the challenges related to all these topics also have a moral aspect.

Environmental protection and promotion will be possible only through continuous activism based on awareness and everyone's participation, she said.

The National Conference on 'Environment – 2025', organised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), aims to bring together key stakeholders to discuss pressing environmental challenges, share best practices, and collaborate on future action plans for sustainable environmental management.

The President said that the NGT has played an important role in the environmental governance of the country.

Hailing the decisive role played by the green tribunal in environmental justice or climate justice, the President said: "The historic decisions given by the NGT have a wide impact on our lives, our health, and the future of our earth."

She urged the institutions associated with the environmental management ecosystem and citizens to continuously strive for environmental protection and promotion.

The President said India has presented many exemplary examples to the world community through its green initiatives and hoped the nation would continue to play the role of a green leader.