President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has cautioned India and China, the two rapidly developing economies against complacency in taking effective steps to check pollution, failing which they might emerge as big polluters of atmosphere in next two decades and other countries would blame them of degrading global environment the same manner as third world was blaming the developed nations today.

“We (India and China) will be the highest polluters with half of the world’s population in next 10 to 15 years if our dependence on fossil fuel remains the same as we will be releasing more carbon-dioxide, sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide which is normally emitted in the conventional thermal power plants… than other developed countries. This can only be tackled if the two nations join hands in promoting the renewable energy sources to protect our environment,” Dr Kalam said.

He was delivering inaugural address of a three-day conference on “Environment Awareness Enforcement” here last night, organised by the Asia Pacific Jurist Association (APJA).

The APJA, of which Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal is the Patron-in-Chief with Delhi High Court Judge Vijender Jain as President, began the deliberation sessions on various environmental issues here this morning at Vigyan Bhawan.

The APJA, getting the full backing by Union Government, UN Environment Programme, various state governments and NGOs associated with the protection of environment, would deliberate upon protection of flora and fauna, wildlife, better management of solid waste in urban areas, water and air pollution and release of toxic waste in rivers rendering them highly polluted during the conference.