Jalandhar: Sant Samaj has placed the pro-environment agenda before all the political parties of Punjab and asked them to include it in their election manifestos. Talking to the journalists here at Punjab Press Club Jalandhar today, Sant Samaj also made this appeal to the voters of Punjab that only vote for a party that includes environmental issues in their election manifesto.
They added that voters must ask the candidates coming to seek votes about issues related to the environment and our daily life, like the issue of clean water and clean air. Sant Samaj invited the people of Punjab to vote for the candidates of those political parties who will promise to keep the environment clean.
They said that on June 1, polling will be held for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. People will choose their representatives for the next 5 years, so elect thoughtfully and only give your vote to someone who will address issues pertaining to our environment too. In the environmental agenda presented by Sant Samaj, 12 points have been discussed and they demand the political parties to include these points in their election manifesto.
AAP MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal said that 310 districts of the country have been affected badly by climate change. These include 9 districts of Punjab, 8 districts of Himachal and 11 districts of Haryana. Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Moga, Faridkot and Bathinda districts are highly sensitive and Ferozepur, Muktsar, Mansa and Sangrur are also suffering from climate change. By the year 2050, water will be very scarce in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar districts.
Sant Seechewal said that the forest area in Punjab has reduced to only 6% compared to 40% in 1947. According to experts, 33% of the area should be under forests for any state. He said that Punjab is in dire need of crop diversification. Paddy is not a crop of Punjab and it is affecting our environment and water resources.
On this occasion Sant Teza Singh MA, Sant Sukhjit Singh Nahlan, Sant Gurbachan Singh Pandwan, Sant Gurmez Singh, Sant Baldev Krishan Singh Gillan, Sant Sukhjit Singh Seechewal, Bhagwan Singh Johal, thinker Dr; Swaraj Singh, former chairman Mohan Lal Sood, Surjit Singh Shanti, Bahadur Singh Sandhu Amarjit Singh Nijjar, Joga Singh Sarpanch Chak Chela and other leaders of social welfare organizations were present.