On the eve of the 11th Himalayan Day, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank emphasised the need to conserve and protect the mountain range.
He said that the 11th Himalayan Day will be observed with the theme of ‘Himalayas and Nature’ on September 9.
“We will get together on Himalayan Day, keeping this in mind. Every person who hails from the Himalayas realises that if we tinker with the environment in the mountains, nature will not forgive us.”
Mr Pokhriyal pointed out that the Himalayas was a world heritage and as many as 1.3 billion people directly or indirectly depended on the mountain range for survival.
READ ALSO: Nepal strives to convert Everest trash into treasure
He appealed to all people to save the Himalayas, which was not only the responsibility of those living in the mountain range but everyone.
The Minister today tweeted saying he calls to countrymen on the occasion of “Himalayan Day” to preserve the Himalayas that are the natural watchdog of the land, the origin of the exclusive perennial rivers and the source of precious herbs.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Ministers Jitendra Singh, Kiran Rijiju, and Anurag Thakur, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Anil Joshi will be among the dignitaries likely to participate in the celebrations.
Those participating in the Himalayan Day will be administered the oath to protect the mountain range.
Himalayan Day has been celebrated since 2010. But after the flash floods in Kedarnath in Uttarakhand in 2013, an official announcement on celebrating the day on September 9 every year was made.
Last year, Himalayan Day was celebrated in Mussoorie where 11 Himalayan states participated in the festivities.
Additionally, in 2017, the founder chairman of Himalayan Unity Mission Dr Anil Joshi appealed to NRIs to celebrate Himalayan Day in their respective countries.
READ ALSO: ‘Indira Gandhi becomes PM’: Old newspapers found in melting glacier