Environment protection should be a constitutional mandate: Justice Pasayat

Bhubaneswar: Justice Arijit Pasayat, vice-chairman of Special Investigation Team on black money on Monday said protecting and conserving environment should be a constitutional mandate.

Delivering a keynote address at the 16th edition of Nalco Foundation Day Lecture Series here, Pasayat stressed on the role of Indian legislature and judiciary in preventing the threats of modernization and pollution on the environment.

He cited various examples from his career as a Judge in the Supreme Court, wherein he dealt with various serious environment issues.

“Environmental protection has now become a matter of grave concern for human existence,” Dr. Justice Pasayat maintained.

“Therefore, protecting and conserving environment should be a constitutional mandate. There is constitutional imperative on the Government bodies not only to ensure and safeguard proper environment but also an imperative duty take adequate measure to promote, protect and improve the environment,” he added.

Citing the relationship of people with the environment, Nalco CMD Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand called upon the mining fraternity to move from mere mining to scientific and sustainable mining.

‘Mining with the mind’ is needed to bring the society onboard so that mining is done to obtain minerals for development and growth, the environment is protected and promoted and society prospers and progresses, he said.

“As a responsible CPSE, Nalco, along with its business, has been laying emphasis on the promotion and maintenance of a pollution-free environment in all its activities,” he added.

On the occasion,  scholarship cheques were handed over to 10 girl students from BPL families from Angul sector under the company’s ‘Nalco ki Ladli Scheme’ designed in line with the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ program of Govt of India.

The event began with the members of Nalco Mahila Samiti presenting a soulful invocation of the divine in the form of song and dance.