Death by Breath: Read this Express series on Delhi’s air pollution

“We have grown up in those traditions where nature is worshipped and where conserving nature is very important,” Modi said on Monday.

“We have no right to exploit nature. This is not a part of our culture,” he said at the inauguration of the two-day conference of state environment and forest ministers at Vigyan Bhawan here.

The prime minister also said that India was one of the most sensitive countries about nature. “Per person carbon emission in India is very less.”

He also said that India has practiced the concepts of recycling and re-using for a long time. “We have not borrowed it from outside.”

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that it was essential to maintain environmental balance.

“Our mandate is to save the nature using the best of the technologies,” he said.

Here are the highlights:

PM launches national air quality index to monitor pollution level in 10 cities

No one can question India’s sensitivity towards nature protection, says PM

Our contribution to level of pollution one of the lowest in the world: PM

Efforts to mislead people on tribal, forest land; such campaign must end, says PM on land bill

(with agency inputs)