Vayu, a conference on improving air quality to be held in Bhubaneswar

New Delhi [India], November 30 (ANI): To celebrate the spirit of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the 75th year of Independence and channel dialogue on the need for clean air in the country, a conference titled 'Vayu - The vital life force' is being organized at Siksha O Anusandhan University in Odisha's Bhubaneswar from December 2 to 4.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, this Conference is focused on varied air quality issues ranging from scientific discussions on climate change and pollution control to enriching our understanding of air quality from ancient scriptures and texts.
"According to the concept of Panchmahaboot, everything in nature is made up of five elements Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. The imbalance or threat to any of these elements threatens the well-being of humanity. Thus, clean air is vital to sustain life force and good health. The aim of the Vayu conference is to build upon the multidimensional efforts taken by Governments to achieve our air quality targets as set in National Clean Air Program by uniting all the important stakeholders," the ministry said.
"To celebrate the achievements of our cities in their efforts to achieve clean air targets, 'National Clean Air City' award based on Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan will be given to the best performing nine cities for meeting air quality targets and implementation of corrective, preventive and mitigation actions. Total cash prize of about Rs. 05 Crores will be awarded to these cities to motivate them to take further concrete action towards clean air goals," the ministry said.
Ministry further said that to constructively engage the youth of the country and give them a platform to present their innovative ideas to solve air quality challenges, an engaging youth session has been organized on December 02, 2022, wherein students will be involved in scholar sessions on atmospheric science, climate change, human health, heritage studies, agriculture issues and mitigation measures. An exhibition to raise public awareness on air quality, natural alternatives and showcasing heritage of Odisha will also be held.
The conference will be attended by more than 500 participants comprising experts, students, academicians, State Pollution Control Boards, Pollution Control Committees, Municipal Commissioners, State Environment Secretaries, scientists, and engineers. It will be a mega participatory event to nurture Jan Bhagidari in the ongoing celebrations under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Prof. Ganeshi Lal, the Governor of Odisha; Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and distinguished dignitaries from all around the country will be gracing the event. (ANI)