Environment-related topics on Mann Ki Baat

In the 122nd episode of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’, environment-related topics were significant points of mention.

This month’s address was against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, in spite of that, the Prime Minister spoke on various topics related to cleanliness, paper waste, recycling and bee protection.

Narendra Modi shared an interesting case of cleanliness efforts by members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the armed police force responsible for guarding India’s border.

He highlighted an occasion when the ITBP team climbed the world’s most difficult peak, Mount Makalu; they didn’t just climb the mountain, they added another mission of ‘cleanliness’ to their goal.

The ITBP team took up the task of removing the garbage lying near the peak and brought down more than 150 kg of non-biodegradable waste with them.

Prime Minister appreciated the team’s resolve towards cleanliness even when facing a challenging environment. Climbing snowy mountains where it is difficult to breathe and a danger to life at every step, and still being engaged in cleaning.

In another related topic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed paper waste and recycling. He asked citizens to reflect on the paper waste generated in homes and offices every day, which contributes to about a fourth of India’s landfill waste.

Prime Minister appreciated the work of Indian startups adopting innovative methods of paper recycling.

He alluded to startups in cities like Visakhapatnam and Gurugram making packaging boards from recycled paper, others are making newspaper recycling easier through digital methods. In cities like Jalna, some startups are making packaging rolls and paper cores from 100 per cent recycled material.

The Prime Minister referred to the fact that recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees from being cut, and thousands of litres of water are saved.

He urged listeners to be inspired by mountaineers who can bring back waste under such difficult conditions, we too should contribute to recycling by separating paper in our homes or offices.

When every citizen of the country thinks about what better one could do better for the country, only then can we bring about a big change, together.

In his address, the Prime Minister also highlighted the work of 65-year-old artist Jeevan Joshi and termed him a ‘living inspiration’.

Jeevan Joshi, who hails from Haldwani in Uttarakhand, suffers from polio, but through his creativity and imagination gave birth to a unique art, Baget. Mr Joshi makes beautiful art pieces from the dry bark that falls off pine trees.

The very bark, which people generally consider useless, becomes a heritage as soon as it comes into Jeevan’s hands. Every creation of his bears the fragrance of the soil of Uttarakhand. Sometimes it is the folk instruments of the hills, and at times it seems as if the soul of the hills has permeated that wood.

The Prime Minister applauded Jeevan Joshi’s work and dedication to the art and compared it to a meditation or sadhana.

Artists like Jeevan Joshi remind us that no matter what the circumstances are, if the intention is strong, nothing is impossible. His name is Jeevan, and he has shown what it means to live life.

why bees are important

Prime Minister devoted a significant portion of his monthly address to the topic of bees and honey.

He spoke about 20th May, celebrated as ‘World Bee Day’, a day which reminds us that honey is not just sweetness; it is also an example of health, self-employment and self-reliance.

The Prime Minister highlighted that in the last 11 years, a sweet revolution has taken place in beekeeping in India.

Honey production in India has surged from 70-75 thousand metric tons per year to around 1.25 lakh metric tons, about a 60% increase.

India has become one of the leading countries in the world in honey production and export, for which the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission have a big role in this positive impact.

Under these government-led initiatives, thousands of beekeeping farmers were trained, provided with equipment and given direct access to the market.

He also enumerated some success stories from the ground level in the villages.

There is an example of the Korea district of Chhattisgarh, where tribal farmers have created a pure organic honey brand named ‘Sonhani’, which is being sold on many online portals, including GeM, reflecting the hard work of the village going global.

Similarly, thousands of women and youth in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh have become honey entrepreneurs.

Work is being done not only on the quantity of honey but also on its purity, as some start-ups are now certifying the quality of honey with AI and digital technology. The Prime Minister urged citizens to buy honey made by these startups, local farmers and women entrepreneurs.

Mr Modi spoke of another interesting story that reminds us that the protection of honeybees is not just environmental protection, but also that of our agriculture and future generations.

In Pune, when a beehive was removed from a housing society, perhaps for security reasons or fear, this incident forced a young person named Amit to think that bees should not be removed, but saved.

Amit self-educated and researched about bees and involved others to form a team, which he named Bee Friends, i.e. ‘Bee Mitra’. These Bee Friends transfer beehives from one place to another in a safe manner, so that people are not in danger and the honeybees also survive.

The effect of Amit’s endeavour ensured that honeybee colonies are saved, honey production increased, and most importantly, awareness also rose among people. This initiative teaches us that when we work in harmony with nature, everyone benefits.

Want to know the importance of bees? Read here