This refers to Professor Sanjeeva Raj’s article (The Hindu, Open Page, September 23, 2012) on biodiversity and how it is a God-blessed gift to our great, tropical country.
However, how many do really understand and appreciate even the basics about it, forget the subtle aspects, including, or rather especially, the ill-educated, selfish, incompetent, corrupt politicians and rulers at the helm of affairs? Is CoP-11, now under way in Hyderabad, a fortnight of drama, fun and free lunch for thousands with practically nothing worthwhile achieved at the end of the day as was the outcome of the ‘great’ conference at Rio-de-Janeiro, nearly 20 years ago?
As to the protection of (let us say) Indian biodiversity — a big deal indeed — you will appreciate that it would require the sincere, honest efforts of educated, rather enlightened, masses; do we have them in our by and large illiterate (and nearly 100% educated) nation?
Then what about the deliberate, continual damage sustained to the biodiversity in the country by our ‘rulers for the past 65 years of our “self rule”?
I sincerely wish, somebody at the conference will bring out, just to mention a few, vis-à-vis (at least) Indian biodiversity:
— the literal rape of the Western Ghats;
— the devastation of the Himalayas from Haridwar to Badrinath, caused by our uneducated pilgrims, year after year;
— the unredeemable pollution of our rivers, including (or especially) the great Maa Ganga, which have been reduced to sewers;
— and nearer home, in Hyderabad, the ruining of the Hussainsagar lake, by the annual immersion of Ganesh idols;
— and the indiscriminate felling of hundreds of substantial trees (some of them more them 100 years old) for road widening or that stupid Outer Ring Road etc.
I also recall the suggestion some time ago of ‘developing’ the great Sundarbans as a tourist attraction by some selfish, money-hungry Indian multi-billionaire. Well, if that materialises, it will be some more nails in the coffin of Indian biodiversity.
(The writer’s email is: bhargavasc_yapral@ rediffmail.com)
The world over there is a serous awareness about preserving
biodiversity and making our world greener day by day. So much is
discussed in international conferences and latest in RIO DE Genaro
that every country agreed to make green world and keep the bio
diversity in tact and no trees and forests should be destroyed.
Although this commitment is not honored, there is general awareness
for preserving it . In India so much justification is given to get the
permission to cut the trees in the road sides and in forests. It is
the duty of every citizen to his children that they will enjoy a good
environment which will not be damaged by them keeping in mind the
disastrous consequences of climate change and greenhouse effect.
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