Himachal Pradesh formulating environment master plan: Dhumal

Shimla, Jan 2 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Friday said the state government was formulating a master plan to address environmental issues.

'We (the government) are in the process of formulating an environment master plan keeping in view the sensitive ecological conditions as a long-term planning to address environmental issues more effectively,' Dhumal said while speaking at a seminar here.

'There is a need to take a pledge to make the planet more eco-friendly and worth living on. For this, there is a need for mass awareness,' he said.

The chief minister said that the state government has decided to conduct environment audit of all departments to ensure that there was no hazardous activity being undertaken by them.

Forest Minister J.P. Nadda said the hill state was poised to emerge as a carbon neutral state with participation of the people.

He said the state imposed a voluntary 'green tax' on vehicle users in an initiative to generate a fund for combating climatic changes. Similarly, residents all over the state planted 1.5 million saplings of 57 indigenous species on Aug 3, 2008.