The geographical area of the state of Chhattisgarh is 1,35,191 square kilometers which is 4.1 percent of the country’s area. The forest area of the state is about 59,772 km which is 44.21 percent of the geographical area of the state. The only source of oxygen is trees. Therefore our life depends on the tree itself. If trees do not exist then no living organism will exist. Urban Administration Minister Dr. Shiv Kumar Dahria has issued instructions to prioritize the use of cow-wood in cremation under all 166 urban bodies of the state a few days ago. Incidentally, the instructions of the Urban Administration Minister came at a time when the Indian Medical Research Council (ICMR) was issuing reports of huge economic losses in the northern and central Indian states due to air pollution. The ICMR has noted the worsening air pollution situation in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. According to the report India State Label Disease Burden Initiative published in Lasant Planetary Health, air pollution is causing a loss of 1.4% of the country’s total GDP. This is a matter of great concern. We all have to come forward with a concrete strategy for air pollution. The steps taken by the Government of Chhattisgarh for the prevention of air pollution in time is laudable. While promoting the use of cow wood in urban areas by the urban administration will reduce the air pollution, on the other hand, two trees of 20 years old will be cut from behind a cremation. This initiative will not sacrifice lakhs of trees in a year and will not have a profound impact on our economy.
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