The Hindu : Karnataka News : We need to save ecology: Palemar

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Saturday, Feb 27, 2010
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Karnataka

We need to save ecology: Palemar

Staff Reporter

Dwindling number of tigers worries him

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

POSITIVE VIBES: Minister for Ecology and Environment J. Krishna Palemar (right) and Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University N. Prabhu Dev interacting with students during a seminar on ‘Environmental impact on biodiversity’ in Bangalore on Friday.

Bangalore: “Development has destroyed nature and this has affected biodiversity. It is a fact that is hard to come to terms with. We need to take steps immediately to ensure that the ecological imbalances are set right,” said Krishna J. Palemar, Minister for Ecology, Environment, Ports and Inland Water Transport and chairman of Biodiversity Board.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of the one-day seminar on “Environmental impact on biodiversity” organised by the Department of Zoology, Bangalore University, here on Friday.

The Minister said the number of tigers, around 280 species of birds, 24 species of reptiles, 120 species of butterflies, found in the Western and Eastern Ghats, are coming down and all of them were on their way to extinction.

“They are already endangered. This is mainly because of increasing deforestation,” Mr. Palemar said.

He said the Western Ghats was one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world. Of the 300 different species of fresh water fish, around 150 are found only in this area.

Later, Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor N. Prabhu Dev spoke about the loss of biodiversity because of changing environmental factors.

“Global warming, habitat loss, farming and over fishing are causing increased loss of biodiversity. Changing environmental factors are putting the planet in peril,” he said. He urged people to change their lifestyle and live green by taking simple steps.

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