Chandigarh,
22 April 2018
DIVYA AZAD
Chandigarh is all set to host a first of a kind Regional Conference on Environment, in Panjab University, on April 22, 2018. The Conference is being organised by ‘Global Platform for Environment(GPE)’ -an NGO made up of a dynamic team of Advocates and Environmentalists. To share details of the conference a press meet was held by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Swatanter Kumar, Former Chairman National Green Tribunal(NGT) & Judge of Supreme Court of India as well as National Convenor, (GPE) along with Reeta Kohli Senior Advocate- SIOLI( Serving in Organisations for Legal Initiatives ), Neelima Kamrah, Registrar- KIIT Group of Colleges & Sunita Sibal, a social activist.
“With an objective to mull over & find a solution to critical issues related to conservation of water, combating air pollution and managing solid waste, various NGOs along with Pollution control boards, State Governments and Stakeholders will come together at a first time in tricity. International representatives of UNEP & IUCN will also take part.” said Justice Swatanter Kumar.
“The time has come when we ought to realize the hard reality. All these advancements in field of science of technology would be of no use if we cannot save the very place where we are living- Earth. This conference is an effort which will surely be go a long way for awakening the ignorant human being.” Said Reeta Kohli Senior Advocate from SIOLI.
It is noteworthy that SIOLI will be working effectively for environmental awareness in the states of Punjab, Haryana , Himachal , J & K and UT Chandigarh.
The conference will start with an inaugural session, followed by 3 technical sessions & a valedictory session. Shri Kaptan Singh Solanki, honorable Governor of Haryana will be the chief guest for inaugural session. Justice Swatanter Kumar will deliver the welcome address followed by motivational address by Dr. S.V. Subba Rao. Justice Hemant Gupta, Chief Justice Madhya Pradesh High Court as well as Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar, Chief Justice Punjab Haryana Court will also be present. Shri Kaptan Singh Solanki will give the inaugural address followed by vote of thanks by Dr. Arun Kumar Grover, Vice Chancellor Panjab University. Valedictory session will have Justice Sanjay Karol- Acting Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court as the chief guest. The session will start with a welcome address by Justice Swatanter Kumar followed by an address by Dr. T.P. Singh, Deputy Regional Director, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangkok which will include the details of environment conservation at a global level. After this, the guest of honour- Justice Jawad Rahim, Acting Chairperson NGT and Justice A.B. Chaudhary, Judge Punjab and Haryana High court will also interact with audience. Followed by a presidential address by Justice Surya Kant, there would be a final address by the chief guest. Mr. Umendra Dutt will present the vote of thanks.
The line up of speakers is enviable. Laxman Singh Laporiya – Convener Gram Vikas Navyuvak Mandal; Umendra Dutt – Convener, Kheti Virasat Mission and an environmentalist- Mr. Sudhendra Sharma will be talking about Air Pollution in Technical session-I which will be organised under chairmanship of Justice TPS Mann, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and co-chairpersonship of -Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman , Airport Authority of India. Similarly, Technical Session-II, which will be a discussion on water pollution will have Justice Mahesh Grover, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court as chairperson and Dr Justice Jawad Rahim, Acting Chairperson, NGT as co-chairperson. The speakers for this session are famous water man from Alwar Rajendra Singh, Sumant Pandey – Yashwant Rao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YADA) ; Wing Commander Rommel Luke – Smart Education and Welfare Association (SEWA) to name a few. Finally, the third session which is a discussion regarding management of solid waste will be held. For this session, Justice Ajay Mittal, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court will be the chairman and SPS Parihar, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board will be the co-chairman. The speakers who will be the part of this discussion have Dr. Krishna Rao, Director Niper and Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation among others.
” Plastic has become the biggest bane of India & the conference will discuss ways to banish this from our lives. With the example of water rationing in South Africa’s Cape Town fresh in our minds , India is no better as far as water conservation is concerned. So we have people like the famous waterman Rajendra Singh who will share thoughts on this.” Sums up Reeta Kohli, Senior Advocate and member of the organizing committee.
