Kolkata, June 5 (PTI) The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has launched a campaign to create awareness among students about the threat to soil due to the use of pesticides.
Speaking at a programme on the occasion of World Environment Day on Wednesday, WBPCB member secretary Rajesh Kumar said it would involve schools from across the state in the campaign.
"With the motto of land restoration, we will sensitise the 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 and we will be faced with a serious crisis," he said.
Kumar said school teachers can be the best communicators of the campaign.
He said the 'Paribesh' mobile app launched by the WBPCB helps in noting air and sound pollution in an area on real-time basis.
Complaints about violations can also be made through the app, he said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also greeted people on World Environment Day.
"Let’s aim for a green planet, a beautiful planet," she said in a post in Bengali on X, sharing a poem written by her.
Meanwhile, NGO SwitchON Foundation released a report, which claimed that 24 per cent of the state's soil has degraded due to erosion, salinisation and nutrient depletion, affecting 1.8 million hectare of land.
The Save Rabindra Sarobar forum created a human chain to raise awareness about the need for protecting the lake, located in south Kolkata.