The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : `Lapses in eco conservation led to drought'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

`Lapses in eco conservation led to drought'

By Our Staff Reporter

A rally taken out by school students in the city on Saturday to mark the World Environment Day.

KOCHI, JUNE 5. Serious lapses in environment conservation have resulted in severe drought in the State which boasts of 44 rivers, the Minister for Fisheries and Excise, K.V. Thomas, has said.

Speaking after inaugurating a public meeting organised to mark World Environment Day by the Higher Secondary Education Department and the National Service Scheme, Prof. Thomas said that a public movement was needed to develop an attitude towards preserving and conserving environment. He said that drinking water shortage and global warming are going to be the most serious environmental issues in the near future.

Earlier in the day, a rally was taken out by the school children from the Rajendra Maidan. The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic, S. Sasikumar, flagged off the rally.

In another programme, the former Vice-Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), N. Unnikrishnan Nair, said that no serious scientific studies had been taken up so far in India on seas and oceans even though the call of the World Environment Day this year is to protect the seas and oceans.

Inaugurating a seminar on `Wanted Seas and Oceans - Dead or Alive?' here today, Dr. Nair said that concerns for the seas and oceans remained world wide and there was a need to take up studies to know more about them. The seminar was organised jointly by the Paristhiti Bhavan, Kochi Corporation, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), Cusat (lakeside campus) and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).

Dr. Nair said India was credited with introducing the concept of poverty eradication as one of the keys to meeting environmental concerns. The developed countries had come around to accept this concept. He said that developing countries find the implementation of certain environmental concerns rather difficult, as poverty remained the main hurdle.

He said that population control measures taken by the country would turn it around by 2010. "We are in a state of demographic transition," he said.

Laws should be enacted and implemented in its spirit to protect environment, Dr. Nair said. The impact of environment pollution should reach the common man, he said. While many things were discussed at various platforms, environmental concerns were not discussed among people. It took about 10-15 years for the message to reach the masses. There should be urgency for such matters, he added.

At the programme held by the Confederation of Indian Industry in association with Young Indians and Chavara Cultural Centre, James Madathikandam, director of Chavara Centre, called upon children to exercise their good judgement in preserving environment as a life long endeavour.

The chairman of CII-Kerala, T.K. Raghulal, said that industry had initiated environment-friendly programmes.

The environmental activist and professor at the Sacred Hearts College, C.M. Joy, highlighted the need to address poverty and unemployment as a first step towards protecting environment. But he cautioned that schemes to alleviate poverty should not create problems to the environment.

The Greenpeace campaigner, V.J. Jose, also spoke. The vice-chairman of CII, M.K. Koshy, said that the delicate balance between nature and human beings had to be ingrained at a young age itself. Children from various schools, teachers, parents, industry representatives and NGOs participated in the seminar.

In yet another programme to mark the day, the Shanmugham Road Cleaning Programme was taken up by the residents' associations and representatives of various shopping complexes in the 58th division of the Corporation.

The Mayor, C.M. Dinesh Mani, inaugurated the programme. A Malinyam Samrakshana unit was also inaugurated by the Principal of St. Teresa's College, Tessa.

The State committee of the Social Association for Forest and Environment (SAFE) urged the Government to correct the environment policies at a meeting held here to mark the day.

The Kochi branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) organised an awareness programme in the backwaters of Kochi. According to the secretary of IMA Kochi, Babu John Mathews, dumping of house hold rubbish, industrial waste, non-biodegradable refuse into the sea has become a major cause of concern.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section

`Lapses in eco conservation led to drought'

Protest marks inaugural function

Woes of a dying beach

`Organic food can reduce incidence of cancer'

Thykoodam subway to be ready soon

GIDA to seek legal opinion on land sale

Nurses allege harassment

Two killed in accident

Protest against farm policies

Environment quiz contest

Seminar on peace

Heavy rain lashes city

Around The City

In Kochi Today