Rahul calls for making environmental degradation a political issue

On the occasion of World Environment Day on Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over environmental degradation and called for making it a political issue so that it gets the importance it deserves.

Taking to Facebook, he said millions of Indians are suffering and even dying as a direct consequence of environmental degradation and the government's "unwillingness" to address these issues on a war footing.

"Till we make environmental issues political issues, they won't get the importance they deserve. This World Environment Day, let's get together and commit to doing just that," Gandhi said.

The Congress president blamed mankind's "insatiable lust for power and wealth" for speeding up of environmental destruction.

He warned that mankind is at the tipping point and if environmental degradation is not reversed now, there may be no turning back.

Gandhi said there is now enough scientific evidence to show that much of the degradation caused, particularly in the last 100 years or so, is irreversible.

"Global warming isn't a myth. It's a reality. India's polluted cities, where citizens struggle to breathe, aren't a myth, they too are a reality. As are our polluted rivers and water bodies and depleting ground water and disappearing forest cover," he said.

He also posted a similar appeal on Twitter.

"Massive degradation of our environment has directly impacted and destroyed the lives of millions of Indians. Yet environmental issues don't get the importance they deserve, because they aren't seen as political issues. This World Environment Day, let us resolve to change that," he said.