Mumbai, Sep 17 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Narendra Modi was the first chief minister in the country to understand the seriousness of the climate change phenomenon and he had set up a separate ministry for it in Gujarat. Shah also said that the internal security of the country cannot be imagined without the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), whose more than 2,000 jawans have sacrificed their lives for the country so far. He was speaking after planting a sapling at the CRPF training ground at Mudkhed in Nanded district of Maharashtra, which helped the security agency achieve the target of one crore sapling plantations in the country. "When Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he was the first to understand the seriousness of climate change and ensure its institutionalised management. Many chief ministers focus on building roads, ensuring education facilities and drinking water schemes. But Modi also worked on climate change and for planting saplings," he said. "If we want to maintain the balance between nature and carbon emission, tree plantation is the only way out. When Modi was Gujarat"s CM, he introduced a portfolio of climate change for the first time," Shah added. Describing global warming and climate change as our enemies, Shah said, "We have to protect environment and natural resources." He hailed the achievements of the CRPF"s 3.25-lakh strong force for meeting every expectation. "Over 2,000 jawans of the CRPF have sacrificed their lives and kept the country secure. When there was no alternative, the CRPF guarded the international borders of India. Later on, its role changed and it also handled the internal security, riots, situation in North-East and Kashmir. The CRPF has adapted to these roles well." He said that one crore saplings have been planted by the CRPF in 170 districts across the country. "The government can plant saplings, but the CRPF should protect it. I urge every CRPF jawan to get connected with one sapling. Getting connected with a tree will give you satisfaction. The trees being planted in this drive have a life of over 100 years," he said. He added that the CRPF has achieved the target of sapling plantation on Modi"s birthday, which is also the Marathwada Multi Sangram Din (Marathwada Liberation Day). Congratulating the residents of Marathwada and Telangana on the occasion of Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din, he said, "This region got freedom from the cruel rule of Nizam and became a part of India after police action and Operation Polo initiated by Sardar Vallabhbhai patel. Swami Ramanand Teerth, Govindbhai Shroff, Digambarrao Bindu and others fought for the freedom of this region. I pay tributes to their sacrifice." Operation Polo was the code name of the Hyderabad "police action" in September 1948, by the then newly independent Dominion of India against Hyderabad State. It was a military operation in which the Indian Armed Forces invaded the Nizam-ruled princely state, annexing it into the Indian Union. PTI MR COR AW NP NP