Call to protect environment

The three-day national seminar on "future of north-east: issues on environment sustainable development", jointly organised by Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), Shimla, and the government of Sikkim began here today.
State forest minister Mr SB Subedi who was the chief guest during the inaugural session today, highlighted the bio-diversity richness of the state and the measures adopted to safeguard it. He said the state government would receive some good inputs in its process to conserve environment as Sikkim is a place blessed with a rich bio-diversity in the country. Elaborating on environment and sustainable development, he said the environment scenario in north-east was a matter of concern and that positive steps were required to improve it. Mr Subedi also informed the gathering of scholars from N-E region about the commitment made by the Sikkim government for protection of environment. "Our state can boast of having around 44 percent of land area covered with forest", he said. Mr Subedi also highlighted other environment protection measures adopted by the state government and said that initiatives have already been taken to make Sikkim a total organic state.
He added that the State Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan for Sikkim has also been drafted and proper bio-diversity registers being maintained right up to gram panchayat level. "This would help us to conserve the rich bio-diversity and traditional knowledge systems," he said.
State Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Mr GM Gurung who was the guest of honour on the occasion, said the aim should not only be fulfilling the needs of the present but instead fulfilling the needs of the coming generation. He also said that in collaboration with the Ministry of environment and forests, Government of India, the HRD department is going to launch the Global Learning and Observation for Benefit of Environment (GLOBE) programme for which teachers from selected schools of the state have been trained. "These small steps would have far reaching consequences in developing environment awareness among the youths," he added. Various scholars and resource persons presented their papers on the first day of the seminar today.

Courtesy: The Statesman

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