Bhubaneswar: People need to plant more trees to ensure access to adequate air and water and protect the environment, said Dr Heera Lal Patel, an IAS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, while addressing the Earth Again Conference 2026 in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

Speaking on the second day of the third edition of the Punashcha Pruthibi (Earth Again) Conference, organised by Sambad and Ama Odisha at Utkal University, Patel stressed the need to look beyond the conventional focus on water, forests and land and pay equal attention to the other two elements — fire and air/sky.

“Mother Earth is made of three elements -- water, forest and land. We need to conserve and protect it. Life needs five elements. We are always discussing water, forests and land, but we do not think enough about fire and the sky,” Patel said.

He said human activities are increasingly affecting the atmosphere, including through aviation. He also pointed to the growing problem of waste in outer space due to satellites and suggested that air travel should be reduced when it is not essential.

‘We are all air thieves’

Patel described people as “air thieves”, arguing that the air they breathe comes from trees they did not plant.

“We are all air thieves because the oxygen we breathe is provided by a tree that we have not planted. We may have planted one tree in our lifetime, but may have cut down 10,” he said.

He emphasised that planting trees is essential not only for cleaner air but also for water security, as forests play an important role in the water cycle.

“Plant trees to get air. Plant trees for water,” Patel said.

He urged people to protect water, forests and land, saying that safeguarding these natural resources would ultimately help protect the planet.

Call for plastic-free living

Patel also highlighted the environmental threat posed by plastic and called for a transition towards a plastic-free lifestyle.

“Plastic is a very dangerous thing. This is a threat to water, forest and land,” he said, stressing the need to reduce plastic use and remove unnecessary plastic from households.

He said environmental protection would require not only individual action but also effective governance and policies.

Carbon credits can benefit farmers

Patel also spoke about the potential of carbon credits in India's agriculture sector. He said appropriate use of carbon-credit mechanisms could help improve soil fertility while also creating opportunities to increase farmers' income.

As India is an agriculture-dependent country, he said, environmental initiatives should be designed in ways that also provide economic benefits to farmers.

Focus on green elections

Patel also called for the concept of green elections, pointing out that election-related activities can generate additional pollution through vehicle use and plastic consumption.

He suggested reducing plastic use during elections and adopting more environmentally friendly practices. Political leaders, he said, should also give greater emphasis to tree plantation and environmental protection during election campaigns.

Patel concluded by urging people to protect the natural resources on which their lives depend, saying that environmental conservation requires collective action as well as supportive governance and policy measures.