#### On World Soil Day, Environmentalist Dr. Anil Mehta's Message

Udaipur, : Water and soil are not just resources, they are life-giving elements. To preserve their essence, continuity, and sustainability, we must incorporate a sense of service(seva)  towards nature into our perspective, behavior, and actions.

This idea was expressed by Dr. Anil Mehta, Principal of Vidya Bhavan Polytechnic and Environmentalist, on the occasion of World Soil Day, during a special field session organized by HCM RIPA, Lok Prashasan Sansthan, for the Assistant Engineers Training Batch. 

At the session held at Badi Lake  , Mehta said that this year's World Soil Day theme is 'Caring for Soil: Measure, Monitor, Manage.' However, this theme presents soil merely as a resource, whereas soil is a living organism with social, environmental, cultural, and spiritual significance.

Mehta emphasized that soil nourishes our minds, brains, and souls. It takes a thousand years to form just one inch of soil. Ninety-five percent of our food is produced from soil. Yet, due to the lack of reverence,respect, devotion  and service (seva) towards soil, living soil is being turned into dead soil.

Concrete is covering soil everywhere - homes, roads, cities. Pesticides, plastics, and other pollutants are destroying soil's inner vitality.

Mehta urged the engineers from across the state to work towards increasing sensitivity and service towards soil and water in society. He encouraged them to adopt the Prime Minister's Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) mission in their personal and professional lives.

Mehta also made the trainee assistant  engineers aware of the ecological importance of Badi Lake.

In her presidential address, Ruchi Priyadarshi, Additional Director of the institution, said that as responsible technical officers and citizens, engineers must take meaningful initiatives towards comprehensive environmental protection and conservation."