We'll protect environment & make progress simultaneously, says Javadekar after taking charge

Protection of the five elements of nature and simultaneous progress will be the guiding principle at the Environment Ministry, Prakash Javadekar said Saturday.

Speaking to the media after taking charge of the ministry, Javadekar, who was the environment minister in the last NDA government for two years, said it was "ghar wapsi" (homecoming) for him.

"It is like ghar wapsi for me. Progress and environment protection are possible together and that will be the guiding force for our ministry. The Modi government in the last five years has shown that it is possible," he said after signing the official documents along with Minister of State for Environment Babul Supriyo.

Javadekar, who has been a man of many faces in the last Narendra Modi government, hailed the prime minister for his keen interest in environment and his contribution.

"The mandate of the MOEFCC is to protect the five elements -- water, fire, air, earth and sky. People used to think that when you have to protect the environment, you cannot make progress. But that's not true," he said at Paryavaran Bhavan here.

The minister said Modi has a special and keen interest in environment, forests and climate change, and also has a vision for it.

"In Paris agreement, India played the role of global leader and Modiji facilitated the Paris agreement and he introduced lifestyle and climate justice as the more important issues for the whole debate of climate change. That is why they were included in the Preamble of Paris Agreement," Javadekar said.

Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was passed in April 2016 when Javadekar was the environment minister, aimed to combat the challenge of climate change.

Before heading to conference room to get a review of the present situation in the ministry, Javadekar told reporters here, "Today I'm taking a detailed review to know where are we and where to go and then I will meet you again."