'Corrective actions should be taken to save environment'

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"We are facing many environmental challenges. Rapidly receding arctic sea ice and snow cover is causing a damage of nearly USD 370 billion every year and it would reach USD 2.4 to 24 trillion by 2050 in terms of damages incurred by various sectors like agriculture and real estate," he said.

"We are also losing our most fertile soil due to erosion at very fast pace. If we continue losing it at the same pace then according to a recent study there will be no top soil left after 60 years, which means there would be no agriculture production and no food grains. We are losing 75 billion tonnes of top soil every year," said Vohra.

He was here to inaugurate the 13th Punjab Science Congress at Panjab University campus in Sector 14.

Over 500 scientists, academicians and climate experts, from all across the country have gathered here to deliberate on various issues and challenges during this conference.

Expressing concern over the depleting ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere, Vohra said human activities have caused deterioration of ozone layer and it has resulted in very bad repercussions.

"Human activities have also increased the carbon dioxide level in the earth atmosphere and if it continues to increase at the current level then it means we are advancing in the direction," he said.

"Immediate corrective actions should be taken without any delay. We all need to rethink and rework our strategies and approaches to save our climate and environment," said Vohra.