India's traditions have stressed on living in harmony with nature: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that development can be environment friendly and may not come at the cost of green assets, while asserting that India's traditions long stressed the importance of living in harmony with nature.

Speaking at the plenary session of an event organised at Vigyan Bhavan here on World Environment Day, which India is hosting this year with the theme - 'beat plastic pollution', he said plastic now threatens to become a menace for humanity.

"Plastic pollution is now entering into our food chain. Per capita plastic consumption in India is much lower than many parts of the developed world. Our national mission on cleanliness and 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' has a special focus on plastic waste management," he said.


"Our experience shows that development can be environment friendly and it need not come come at the cost of our green assets," he pointed out

Noting that India is the fastest growing economy in the world today, he said, "We are committed to rising the standards of living of our people" and "to ensure that we do so in a way that is sustainable and green".

He said that as part of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), India is committed to reducing 33-35 per cent of emission intensity of its GDP during 2005-2030.

He said India is also on track to meet the nationally determined contribution.