Surat: A seminar on “Green Initiative – Collaborating for Environmental Rights and Duties Under the Constitution” was organized on Saturday by Province Eco-Jesuits, Navsarjan and Xavier’s Cell for Human Development. Discussions focused on work being done in environment conservation and how united efforts can be made.
At the event, Jignasha Oza, Surat regional officer, Gujarat Pollution Control Board; Snehal Patel, president of Nature Club Surat, and Dr Suresh Anthony, PEJ coordinator at St Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, were the speakers.
Anthony described how he and his associates are working on an ecological mission. Speaking on organic farming, he said, “When I met farmers practising organic farming, they claimed their yield was 50% lower than that after the use of chemical fertilisers. While in urban areas, people pick up organic produce in malls to buy but put them back after reading the prices.”
He appealed to the gathering to plan how everyone can contribute to the ecological mission for a better environment.
In her address, Oza urged participants to start with small steps by changing personal habits to improve the environment. “Up to 2015, it was possible to spend most of the year without using air-conditioning in Surat. Now, on most days, even in winter, we have to keep the AC on. We can make small changes by increasing the AC temperature by just one degree to contribute,” said Oza.
Discussing the initiatives of Nature Club, Patel provided details of various projects. “We have improved the environment of Gaviar Lake after efforts for a few years, and now many migratory birds come there. Due to our efforts, developments such as roads cutting through the green cover of the lake were put aside,” said Patel.
He explained how planting native trees will help strengthen the environment compared to species brought from other places.