June 5: The Pollution Control Board, Assam, and the state environment and forest department jointly organised a mass awareness meeting at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra on reducing the CO2 emission on the occasion of World Environment Day today.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Kick the CO2 Habit”, which means to inspire and encourage actions to eliminate the greenhouse gas, CO2, the main contributor to global warming.

Speaking at the meeting, the board’s chairman, A.K. Dutta, said, “As far as climate change is concerned, the world is running out of time. There has been a rapid increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere like CO2, CH4 (methane), N2O (nitrous oxide) and water vapours are solely responsible for enhancing the surface temperature of the earth.”

He emphasised the need for transformation of energy by using bio-fuel and hydroelectricity for combating greenhouse gas emissions.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, environment and forest minister Rockybul Hussain and senior government officials attended the meeting. Several school students were also present at the function. On the occasion, the chief minister distributed saplings among the students and also gave away solar lamps to the headmen of five villages in Kamrup district.

Speaking as a resource person, professor of Assam Engineering College Arup Kumar Mishra dwelt on the various measures like conservation of energy and plantation of trees to reduce emission of greenhouse gases to save the earth.