WBPCB Launches Campaign to Raise Awareness on Soil Threat from Pesticides

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has initiated a campaign to educate students about the dangers posed to soil fertility by pesticide use. On World Environment Day, WBPCB secretary Rajesh Kumar emphasized the vital role of teachers. The WBPCB's 'Paribesh' app tracks real-time pollution, and complaints can be lodged via the app. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also extended her World Environment Day wishes, and NGO SwitchON Foundation reported significant soil degradation in the state.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has embarked on an ambitious campaign aimed at educating students about the perils of pesticide use on soil health.

In a program marking World Environment Day, WBPCB member secretary Rajesh Kumar announced the initiative, which will involve numerous schools across the state. 'With the motto of land restoration, we will sensitise children and their parents about the threat to our soil due to the use of pesticides. If this practice continues, the soil will lose its fertility after a few decades, leading to a severe crisis,' Kumar explained.

Kumar highlighted school teachers as key communicators for this effort. Additionally, the WBPCB's 'Paribesh' mobile app, designed to monitor air and sound pollution in real time, was also presented as a tool for public engagement and complaint lodging.

On the same occasion, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee conveyed her World Environment Day greetings and aspirations for a greener planet, sharing a poem in Bengali on social media platform X. Meanwhile, the NGO SwitchON Foundation published a report showing that 24 per cent of the state's soil has degraded due to erosion, salinization, and nutrient depletion, impacting 1.8 million hectares of land.

In a separate event, the Save Rabindra Sarobar forum organized a human chain to highlight the urgency of protecting the lake located in south Kolkata.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)