Laws are flouted and facts are falsified while implementing development projects in Western Ghats, according to Prof Madhav Gadgil, chairman, Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel.
Laws are flouted and facts are falsified while implementing development projects in Western Ghats, according to Prof Madhav Gadgil, chairman, Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel. Delivering the keynote address during the session on ‘Biodiversity of the Western Ghats - Challenges and strategies for conservation and sustainable management, at the Indian Biodiversity Congress held on Sunday, Gadgil said Western Ghats is stripped of green cover due to bad governance. Saying that deliberate distortion of facts happens when projects come up in the biodiversity hotspot, Gadgil said lives of the people are affected.
Pointing out how Switzerland enhanced forest cover with the involvement of the people, he said the current paradigm in India is that all development is dictated by exclusion. “Most decisions are taken without considering their impact on the environment and the local communities,” he said.
Opining that consultations with the local community would do good whenever a development project is conceived, he said the focus should be on a balance between conservation of biodiversity and development. “The benefits of development can reach all segments of the society and local communities can guide the course of development,” he said.
Balakrishna Pisupati, chairman, National Biodiversity Authority, said plans are on to revise the biodiversity action plan which will look at setting up biodiversity targets for 2020.
During the inaugural function, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas M Veerappa Moily said: “The central and state governments will have to work together for protecting biodiversity. I will also take up the matter with the planning commission,” adding that there are enough areas to explore for those who are looking at research.
Ananth Kumar, BJP general secretary, said there should be people’s participation. “There should be a session on conservation and promotion for all the MPs of India. It should start from the ministers and percolate down to all the levels,” he said.
Lamenting that the country is heading towards biodiversity extinction, he said: “If we are moving towards extinction due to the mad race for development,” he said.
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