Development and environment go together and are “not against” each other, newly appointed Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said while taking over from Prakash Javadekar.
Javadekar, during whose tenure activists had raised apprehensions about dilution of green norms, has been made Minister of Human Resource Development.
Dave assured that he will continue all the projects initiated by Javadekar, adding:
Development and environment go together. They are not against each other. We need to look at the issue in this manner.
Speaking in the presence of Javadekar, Dave said all projects undertaken by his predecessor will continue although he would take a week's time to understand the functioning of the department.
With the Environment and Water Resources Ministries at loggerheads over the construction of hydel projects in the upper reaches of Ganga, Dave, who has been actively involved in Narmada conservation said, “Every river should flow.”
Commenting on the odd-even scheme of Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, Dave said, “Although there is a need to learn from experiments, politics and experiments should be kept separate.”
First, I will try to understand the department and its priorities and challenges. It will take me one week's time. After that we will decide with regard to environment, forest and climate change, in what direction should we move forward. Prakash Javadekar has done a great job and most of his projects will continue.Anil Madhav Dave, MoS Environment
An environmentalist, Dave has worked towards conservation of Naramada. He is also a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
(With PTI inputs.)
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