Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Call for concerted effort to save environment

— PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

Eco warriors:APPCB Joint Chief Environmental Engineer A. Subba Rao (second from right) releasing a booklet on Global Climate Change on the eve of World Environmental Day in Vijayawada on Saturday. Environmental engineer S. Venkateswarlu (extreme left), IMA former president G. Samaram (second from left), and former MP Chennupati Vidya are seen.

VIJAYAWADA: Concerted effort of the government and people is the only way to reverse the trend of environmental degradation, Joint Chief Environmental Engineer A. Subba Rao has said.

Addressing a seminar on ‘Impact of global warming on bio-diversity' organised by the Gora Science Centre in association with the APPCB here on Saturday, on the eve of the World Environment Day, Mr. Subba Rao said bio-diversity was of utmost importance for living beings.

Industrialisation had triggered a chain reaction leading to urbanisation, which, in turn, had resulted in growth of pollution and destruction of forests. Indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources had caused a serious threat to the bio-diversity.

Mr. Subba Rao said that government alone couldn't handle the Herculean task and it was the responsibility of each individual to contribute his mite in saving the ‘Mother Nature'.

He also released a book brought out by G. Niyanta, director of Gora Science Centre, on ‘Global' Climate Change'.

The book is an illustration with graphs and pictures, providing the reader with an insight into the growing problem of global warming and its adverse impact on agriculture, flora and fauna, and living beings.

It also highlights the impending dangers of desertification, shrinking food supply, rising sea levels, and predictions for the next 100 years. APPCB environmental engineer S. Venkateswarlu spoke about the disastrous consequences of depletion of bio-diversity.

“This earth belongs to all of us and we must feel responsible to preserve the bio-diversity for the generations to come,” he said.

Former national president of the Indian Medical Association G. Samaram highlighted the visible effects of global warming on people's deteriorating health condition. “People in at least 180 nations have to trek 1 km to fetch drinking water. The quality of water we drink is not good.

‘Skewed policies'

Deterioration of health is leading to emergence of new diseases,” he cautioned, calling for a higher level of awareness at the grassroots level on the issue of climate change.

Atheist Centre executive director G. Vijayam lamented what he called ‘skewed' priorities of the government and called for a ‘sea change' in people's mindset. Stating that growing consumerism was yet another cause of the harmful trend, he said human beings must make use of not just their mind but also their heart while thinking of development. Former MP Chennupati Vidya called for ‘inter-departmental coordination' and a well thought of action plan to deal with the issue in an effective way.

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