Swedish royal couple to meet young environment activist Ridhima Pandey in Rishikesh

Swedish king Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia who are coming on a state visit to Uttarakhand on Thursday will meet young environment activist Ridhima Pandey in Rishikesh besides exploring different aspects of the holy town on the banks of the Ganga.

11-year-old Pandey was among 16 children, including teenage environment activist Greta Thunberg, who filed a complaint to protest the lack of government action on the climate crisis at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September.

Ridhima, studying in Class 8, hit the headlines in 2017 when she filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal against the government for failing to take action on climate change, highlighting the growing concern over pollution and environmental degradation in the country.

With sustainability in the forefront of Sweden's priorities, theroyal couple will meet Ridhima near Ram Jhula and discuss with her issues that plague the environment in India, especially the Ganges and lending their support to brave students like her.

The royal couple is on a five-day official visit to the country which began in New Delhi on Monday, where they met top officials including finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.