We're concerned about people’s health: Aaditya Thackeray on ‘cautious reopening'

Thackeray while speaking to HT's Sunetra Choudhury during the Reviving Tourism Responsibly in the Post-Pandemic world said that the Maharashtra government to ensure that reopening of the tourism sector happens while also ensuring that people remain healthy.

Maharashtra tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said that the Maharashtra government will continue to focus on the healthcare of people and will slowly and steadily open up tourism in the state keeping in mind people’s health. Thackeray while speaking to Hindustan Times' Sunetra Choudhury during the Reviving Tourism Responsibly in the Post-Pandemic world said that the Maharashtra government to ensure that hotel and restaurant staff have been administered with both jabs to ensure the smooth reopening of the tourism sector.

Aaditya Thackeray said that he sees a V-shaped recovery of the tourism industry. (Facebook/Hindustan Times)

He said that he sees a V-shaped recovery of the tourism industry. “We have been slow on opening up because we are concerned about healthcare, we do not want people to fall ill. This is why we are stressing on double vaccination and other Covid-19 preventative measures,” Aaditya Thackeray said.

He also said that people should not delay in getting the second jab of the vaccine. “We are in a zone where people who are delaying in getting the second shot and vaccine-hesitant people pose a challenge in the process of reopening,” Thackeray said.

Thackeray said that climate change affects the vulnerable sections of society the hardest. “Greatest inequity of climate changes is that it impacts people who are the most vulnerable and the ones who are least responsible for it. Famines, droughts and other climate change impacts hit mostly people who are from the poor regions of the planet, pollution impacts the working class people,” he said.

“We cannot keep mindlessly thriving towards development, we need to rethink highways, mines and railway lines through forests and biodiversity-rich areas. Development is necessary but sustainable development will lead to climate change mitigation,” Thackeray further added.

Ahead of the COP26 in Glasgow, the Maharashtra tourism minister said that India will play an important role in the fight against climate change. “We have the power to become a solar energy powerhouse of the world. The hydrogen energy aspect, too, we can lead the world in that. Even Maharashtra has committed to the net zero by 2050,” he said.