Bhubaneswar: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, today said strong political will and mass awareness are required to fight climate change.

Patnaik was speaking on the second day of the Earth Again conference of Sambad Group in the capital city here.  

“Time is running out. We can no longer afford to wait and watch. It's high time for us to act I would therefore urge one and all to join hands and collaborate in a positive way to save our mother Earth,” said Patnaik.

The former Chief Minister opined that strong political will as well as mass awareness is required to fight the climate change.

“Climate change is a global phenomenon and humanity as a whole has to face it. Only a strong political will along with mass awareness can reverse the situation. Most political parties are unwilling to accept tough climate targets due to a variety of reasons. Even the United Nations  has called upon political leaders to take drastic steps to deal with climate emergency,” Patnaik stated.

Patnaik praised the Sambad Group for launching the Earth Again movement to create awareness on environmental pollution and climate change.

“The Sambad Group’s efforts to organise this conference is very timely and praiseworthy. I congratulate all partners of this event for bringing together experts and stakeholders to deliberate on this subject of paramount importance,” said the former Chief Minister.

Patnaik recounted the massive rehabilitation and reconstruction work undertaken by the state government under his leadership following the Super Cyclone of 1999.

“On 5th of March in the year 2000, when I assumed the office of the Chief Minister of Odisha, the biggest challenge before my government was cyclone reconstruction and to build a resilient Odisha. The Super Cyclone had left a trail of destruction across the coastal Odisha including the state capital. The huge loss of life and property had shaken the entire country. For the first time in the country, a disaster management authority was created in Odisha. Hundreds of cyclone and flood shelters were constructed. Strengthening of embankments and massive plantation was taken up. Community participation was encouraged. Our motto was Zero Casualty,” Patnaik narrated.

The former Chief Minister claimed that the initiatives and measures taken by the state government under his leadership had helped Odisha to manage several natural calamities effectively.

“Odisha is prone to natural calamities due to its geographic location. But, our initiatives started yielding results in tackling floods and cyclones like Phailin, HudHud and Fani. Loss of life was reduced to great extent and Odisha became a model in disaster management. Even, the United Nations recognised our endeavours to successful disaster management,” said Patnaik.

The former Chief Minister further claimed that the forest cover in Odisha has gone up to 52,156 sq kms in 2021 from 47, 033 sq kms in 1999.

“Mangrove cover has also increased between 1999 to 2021. Odisha is the first state to have a state action plan for climate change in 2010. The climate change budget is being implemented in the state since 2019. In order to underscore the emphasis on climate change, the nomenclature of Forest and Environment Department has been changed to Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department in 2021,” Patnaik highlighted.

 On the occasion, Patnaik distributed Parivesh Samman Awards to three eminent personalities.