The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Sustain biodiversity for food needs”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Sustain biodiversity for food needs”

Special Correspondent

Access to and sharing of both genetic resources and technologies are essential: Regupathy

“The existing laws are insufficient to tackle global warming”
“Everyone should plant trees on birthdays and anniversaries”

— Photo: R. Ragu

PROMOTING GREEN COVER: Minister of State for Environment and Forest S. Regupathy at a biodiversity exhibition in Chennai on Monday. NBA chairman S. Kannaiyan (right) is also in the picture.

CHENNAI: The conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity is of critical importance in meeting the requirements of food, fodder, fibre, health and water of the growing world population, Minister of State for Environment and Forests S. Regupathy has said.

For this, access to and sharing of both genetic resources and technologies were essential, he said, calling for determined efforts to sustain biodiversity for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Speaking at a ‘biodiversity and agro-biodiversity conservation mela,’ organised by the National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, in association with the Presidency College, Loyola College, the Queen Mary’s College and the Coast Guard, he acknowledged that the existing laws were insufficient to tackle global warming. However, he made it clear that it was equally the responsibility of every individual to control carbon dioxide emissions and increase the green space. Everyone, he said, should plant trees on birthdays and anniversaries, thereby increasing the green cover in the State.

Green cover spreads

When the Forestry Department was set up, Tamil Nadu’s tree cover and forest area was only 16 per cent. However, it had now increased to 25 per cent, thanks to the government’s efforts, and he was hopeful that the State could reach the target of 33 per cent (one-third of all land resources) of forest and tree cover. He released a book on agro-biodiversity and flagged off a campaign at the Marina.

S. Kannaiyan, chairman, National Biodiversity Authority, said there was over-harvesting and over-exploitation of the bio-reserves across the country. This should be stopped immediately. While India’s rich biodiversity should be converted into bio-resources, it would not be advisable to overuse them.

Commandant S. Paramesh, Chief Staff Officer, Indian Coast Guard Region (East), said the Coast Guard was mandated by an Act to preserve the marine resources along India’s coast. About 70 per cent of the world’s trade was seaborne, and a significant portion of it passed close to the Indian shores. Any accident would cause an irrevocable damage, he said.

K. Venkataraman, secretary, National Biodiversity Authority, and representatives of the colleges collaborating in the mela spoke. The event will be held till May 22.

An exhibition on biodiversity was organised at the Presidency College.

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