New Delhi (AsiaNews/ICNS) Caritas India has launched a year-long campaign against pollution and desertification. The campaign aims to raise awareness among the population through action programs, seminars and workshops.
Caritas India chairman, Bishop Peter Remigius, said the program is linked to the International Year of Deserts and Desertification and the Church's campaign against hunger and disease. Under the slogan, "Save Mother Earth, Care for Nature" the initiative aims to draw the attention of Indians and the international community to challenges posed by increasing drought in India and other parts of the world.
When launching the initiative, Caritas said India is losing 1.3 million hectares of forested land ever year due to widespread deforestation. Each year, the level of underground waters drops by at least one metre thanks to overuse. Making people understand the necessity of not wasting water, continued Caritas, is the only solution to tackle the shortage.
In a country like India, where the agricultural sector is still heavily dependent on climatic conditions, drought that dries up and destroys cultivations pushes many farmers to suicide. Farmers are often forced to take out loans from government banks, private companies or cooperatives to attempt to plant crops once again. Unable to pay their debts, they kill themselves.
The Catholic agency's program includes conducting workshops in schools and villages for the promotion of watershed management and sustainable agriculture programs.
The Indian Caritas is already involved in around 100 environmental protection projects with over 150 local partners spread across the country.
