CSR activities: Ramesh suggests partnership between his ministry and PSUs

‘We should have partnership between environment ministry and
ONGC. If we get partnership with five PSUs like ONGC, we will get a part of
their corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget for spending on good
afforestation activities, particularly in wetland and mangrove areas,’ said Environment
Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Ramesh made this statement while launching Harit-Moksha, a
joint initiative by ONGC and Mokshada Paryavaran Evam Van Suraksha Samiti
(PEVSS) for reducing pollution and conserving national forest reserves that are
directly affected by cremation activities.

The minister pointed out that last year ONGC could spend
only 50 per cent of their total fund for CSR. The organization spent about Rs
200 crore of a total accrual of Rs 400 crore.

Under the Harit-Moksha project that Ramesh launched, total
30 units Mokshda Green Cremation Systems (MGCS) will be installed across eight cities
including Delhi and Mumbai.  

According to statistics released by ONGC and PEVSS, every
year 50 million to 60 million trees are felled and used for conventional wood-based
cremation across the country.

‘I am very surprised to read that every year we lose two
lakh hectares just for felling trees for burning dead bodies. It is an amazing
statistics,’ Ramesh said.