"Union Carbide leakage was mega environmental negligence": VP Dhankhar

According to a release, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said, " Long before sustainability became a global buzzword, much long before....India lived it for centuries, where every Banyan tree was a temple, every river a goddess and best an unknown concept in a civilisation that worshipped secularity. Our Vedic literature is a goldmine for nurturing Mother Earth and propagating harmony between man and nature."

"India's DNA carries the only vaccine against ecological collapse, conspicuous consumption. We only have to read what is there in our goldmine", he added.

Addressing the valedictory session of the National Conference on Environment- 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, Dhankhar said, "Developed nations must transcend the political boundaries in environmental thinking. Adopting models where planetary health becomes foundational to human prosperity and well-being."

Recalling the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, Dhankar said, " The Bhopal gas tragedy lesson is still unlearned. The Union Carbide Leakage of 1984. It was mega environmental negligence. Even after four decades, families suffered generation after generation, genetic disorders and groundwater contamination.....Just imagine how pathetic the lack of awareness is. We did not have an institution like NGT. We did not have a regulatory regime that could address the issue. Things would have been very different if there had been a regulatory regime of the current level then."

Emphasising the need to evolve environmental ethics, he stated, "....There is a global need to evolve and believe in environmental ethics, this underscores humans' moral obligations to protect and preserve the environment.......we have to be aware the planet is not exclusive to us. We are not its owners. Flora and fauna must flourish and blossom alongside, and so must all other living beings. In such a scenario, man will have to learn to live in harmony with nature and other living beings. Are we doing it? No.....There will have to be an individual focus on the optimal utilisation of resources of natural. This has to be our habit. Our fiscal power, our fiscal capacity, cannot determine the use of natural resources. The consumption has to be optimal."

"Both Ecological Extension and Conservation Ethics advocate a harmonious human-nature relationship, and so easy to bring about. It doesn't call for anything but a positive mindset towards life. We have to focus on environmental preservation and prudent resource stewardship for generational sustainability", he added.

Highlighting the interconnectedness of NGT with law, science and ethics, Dhankhar stated, " The way I look at NGT, N for nurturing, G for green and T for tomorrow. NGT for me is nurturing green for tomorrow. This is not just wordplay. It is the vision of an institution that connects law, science and ethics to transform our relationship with nature. Let us grow from our very roots, wield cutting edge, and uphold climate justice with unwavering resolve."

"Let peace prevail in the sky and space. Let peace reign and radiate on earth, in water and all plants. Let peace prevail everywhere," he added.

Sudesh Dhankhar, Spouse of Vice-President, Justice PS Narsimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India, Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, National Green Tribunal, Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India, Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and other dignitaries were present at the occasion. (ANI)