Punjab govt inks MoU with TERI to tackle environmental issues

The MoU was signed by Principal Secretary of science, technology, environment and non-conventional energy department, Karan Avtar Singh and Director General of TERI, Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, in the presence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Appreciating the joint efforts taken by TERI and the Science Technology, Environment and Non-conventional Energy department in the signing of this agreement, Badal hoped that this unique initiative would go a long way in evolving a concrete policy to promote research and development, especially in the areas of climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency and water management.

The Chief Minister asked Dr Pachauri to set up an institute in Punjab in collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) of Ludhiana, to give a further boost to the ongoing agricultural research, besides tackling problems related to poor quality of water in some parts of the state, due to the presence of uranium and other heavy metals in ground water.

Karan Avtar Singh informed the CM, that his department had already mooted a proposal to the Central Government's Ministry of Science and Technology for the establishment of Institute of Advanced Studies and Research on Climate Change by TERI in collaboration with PAU and hoped the proposal would be cleared soon.

Pachauri, who won a Noble peace prize in 2007 for his environmental work, emphasised the need to focus efforts on sustainable development.