Ramesh for CSR pacts between MoEF, PSUs for afforestation

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today favoured re-defining corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to forge partnership between his ministry and PSUs for afforestation activities.

Pointing out that last year the state-owned oil and gas company ONGC's total accrual to the CSR fund was Rs 400 crore, but the company could spend only Rs 200 crore, the Minister said, "I think, we should re-define CSR to include environmental management and afforestation."

"We should have partnership between MoEF and ONGC," Ramesh said adding, if he gets partnership with five PSUs like ONGC, he will get a big budget for spending on "good afforestation activities" particularly in wetland areas and mangrove areas.

"I think, we should follow this up," the Minister said.

The Minister was speaking after launching Harit-Moksha, a joint initiative by ONGC and Mokshada Paryavaran Evam Van Suraksha Samiti (PEVSS) for reducing pollution and conserving national forest reserves which are directly affected by cremation activities.

Ramesh, who was once an advocate of electric crematorium project which was not successful due to various reasons, said, wood-based crematorium is suitable for Indian culture and it will be acceptable to the people.

"It is an excellent initiative," he said.

Under the project, total 30 units of wood-based Mokshda Green Cremation Systems (MGCS) would be installed across eight different cities including Delhi and Mumbai at an estimated cost of Rs 9.19 crore, said founder president of Mokshda PEVSS Vinod Kumar Agarwal.

According to statistics released by ONGC and PEVSS, every year 50 to 60 million trees are felled and used for conventional wood based cremation across the country.

"I am very surprised to read that every year we lose 2 lakh hectares just for felling trees for burning dead bodies. It is an amazing statistics," Ramesh said at the event presided over by ONGC CMD A K Hazarika.

Organisers said MGCS is capable of saving up to 60% of wood besides reducing air and river pollution significantly.

"Due to much lesser wood burning, MGCS not only helps reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and thereby mitigating global warming but also makes cremation process affordable to weaker sections of society," Agarwal said.