Gorakhpur (UP), February 17 Integrating economic progress with environmental protection through a "Sanatan model of development" can help India regain its status as a Vishwaguru, water conservationist, and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, Rajendra Singh, said at a seminar here on Tuesday.
Addressing the inaugural session of the seminar on 'Environmental Challenges with Development: Collective Efforts for Sustainable Growth', Singh noted that India's ancient knowledge systems have long emphasised harmony between humans and nature.
The event was jointly organized by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Mahyogi Gorakhnath University.
"Sanatan means eternal and ever-renewing. Ancient India's development was rooted in sustainability. The Vedas and Upanishads spoke of human duties towards nature centuries ago," Singh said, adding that India must revisit this model to address present-day environmental challenges.
Highlighting the growing water crisis, he termed it a global issue requiring local solutions. He stressed the need for water literacy and maintaining balance between water discharge and recharge.
"Unplanned development has affected rivers' purity and flow. Imposing western dam designs on Indian rivers has disturbed ecological systems. Today, 365 districts face water stress," he said, advocating decentralized efforts for sustainable outcomes.
Singh claimed that such initiatives have helped revive 23 rivers over five decades.
Calling Uttar Pradesh "nature's favourite child," Singh said the state must align cropping patterns with rainfall to prevent future water scarcity.
Manoj Kumar Singh, former chief secretary and CEO of the State Transformation Commission, said environmental protection requires collective responsibility.
Additional Chief Secretary (forest) Anil Kumar said 95 per cent door-to-door waste collection in Uttar Pradesh is being processed. He added that 2.5 billion saplings have been planted in eight years, increasing forest cover by about 500 square kilometres.