World seeing India's successful battle against Covid-19 under PM Narendra Modi: Amit Shah

India is in a "good position" in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic and the country will fight the disease with determination and enthusiasm, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.

Shah spoke after participating in a mega plantation drive initiated by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to plant 1.37 crore saplings in their campuses by this month-end. He planted a peepal sapling at the CRPF officers' training academy campus in Kadarpur village here.

"The world is seeing that if a successful battle has been fought anywhere across the globe against the coronavirus it is in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Shah said.

"It was feared that how would a large country like ours would face this challenge given that we have a federal structure of governance, dense population of 130 crore people and no single chain of command," he said.

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But the 130 crore people of the country, all states and every individual fought the battle against Covid-19 as one nation, the home minister said.

Across the globe, Shah said, governments are fighting this disease but in India everyone has joined hands.

"We are in a good position in this coronavirus battle and will continue this fight with determination and there is no atmosphere of fear. We have the passion to battle it and the enthusiasm to defeat it," he said in his address to the chiefs of various CAPFs and troops who heard him via a web link.

"As the home minister of the country, I can proudly say that the security forces of the country have a 'big role' to play in this battle fought by India," he said.

He praised these forces for rendering duties at airports, railway stations and public places apart from aiding the state police forces for law and order duties.

Shah noted that Covid-19 is a very contagious disease that challenges the very existence of the humankind.

Saluting the 'corona warriors' of the CAPFs and other security and police forces, the home minister said they have set a new example of rendering their duty and fighting the pandemic at the same time.

He said over 31 CAPF personnel have laid down their lives while rendering Covid-19 duties out of which ten personnel are from the Central Reserve Police Force.

"I assure you that your sacrifice will not go in vain. Your sacrifice will be written in golden words," he said.

Talking about the importance of trees in environment protection, he urged the personnel to adopt at least one plant and ensure that they protect it till it grows bigger than them.

"Consider the plant like your child and treat it with the affection and care that you bring up your children," he urged them.

"We are facing challenges of global warming, rise in temperature and depletion of the ozone layer. Only trees can save us from environmental challenges and they can help to lessen the existing pollution and nothing else," he said.

He said the Home Ministry, under the ongoing mega plantation drive, has chosen a maximum of those plants which have a life span of over 100 years so that they can help preserve the nature for long.

Shah also said that he believes that his ministry should have a culture that all projects or initiatives launched by it should reach successful completion.

The Modi government, he said, is working to bring in more clean fuel and as part of that "we are enhancing the usage of ethanol over petrol".

"I am happy to say that between 2014 and 2020 the production and consumption of ethanol in the country has risen by 20 per cent and we further plan to increase it by another 10 per cent," he said.

The minister also talked about PM Modi's speech during the Paris World Environment Summit.

"The PM cautioned the world against over-exploitation of nature and the world accepted the Modi formula in the Paris declaration on tackling climate change. As a result of the prime minister's efforts, the International Solar Alliance was set up in India," he said.

During the event, CRPF chief A P Maheshwari informed the minister that all the CAPFs are undertaking the mega plantation drive and his force will plant over 22 lakh saplings.