Establish Biodiversity Research and Marketing Centers with Global Standards -Dr Kalam

INVC,,
Delhi,,
Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, Ex-president of India said this year, the theme of the Environment Day, ‘Bio-diversity: Connecting with nature’., is indeed a very important aspect of our ecological system. Addressing World Environment day celebrations here organized by the ministry of environment and Forests, Dr Kalam further said our planet, with all its life forms, is delicately balanced and dependent on each other for survival. Some of these are well known like the food chain, carbon chain and many more, while there are many dependencies which are still hardly known to us. Every life form, be it microscopic bacteria which helps decompose dead plants and wood, to the colorful butterflies which help in pollination to the mighty mammals who are precariously balanced along the food chain. Each species has a special role to play on our planet. This makes the challenge of preserving our bio-diversity all the more critical. Indian being classified as one of the 17 mega-diverse countries of the world, has a important mission in maintaining and enhancing bio-diversity and conserving the environment. He added.

Talking about India’s 2.4% of the world land area, 8% of the total number of species, 10 distinct biodiversity zones, 12% of the world Pisces (fish) diversity and about 13.6% of world’s bird species, 7th in the world as far as the species in animal husbandry and agriculture, 16 major groups of foerst zones comprising 221 types, wetlands he said biodiversity can be our core strength for economic development, societal mission and environmental conservation.

Referring to Exotic Food Products,Dr Kalam said humanity over its history has used approximately 80,000 edible plants, of which only about 150 have been ever been cultivated on a large scale. Today, about 10-20 species provide 80-90% of the food requirements of the world. Most of the plants being used as a source of nutrition and food by the tribal areas of the nation are not known to the outside world. He said the Environment Ministry,may like to embark on a mission to collate and research the various forms of such traditional food varieties and promote rural enterprises, which would be vertically integrated and can export processed and value added traditional food as an exotic food product. Giving details of initiative by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Field Research Laboratory in Leh who extracted and processed a little known Himalayan shrub Seabuckthorn he suggested that with confluence of research, traditional wealth and entrepreneurship, an economic value can be established based on biodiversity. This fruit contains eight vitamins, 24 minerals, 18 amino acids and antioxidants and can be converting it into packaged juice.

Dr Kalam said as much as the 70% of the medicine are derived from the natural products today. Around 20,000 plants species are believed to be used for medical purposes in the developing. In India too, 95% of the prescriptions are plant based in the traditional India has 47,000 species of flowering and non-flowering plants representing 12% of the world’s flora. Research needs to be promoted in finding the medicinal value of this biodiversity wealth The traditional Indian Neem tree has been used as an antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory and even as organic pesticides. Thus, biodiversity, when nurtured and researched can be used for concurrent economic advantage and societal welfare.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests can consider establishing such biodiversity – research and marketing centres, with global standards all across the nation. These can capitalized on the diverse floral wealth in the ten biodiversity zones of the nation and managed in a very entrepreneurial way ,Dr Kalam suggested. Regarding medical tourism , he said advantages for medical tourists include reduced costs, the availability of latest medical technologies and a growing compliance on international quality standards. With the tremendous medicinal wealth untapped in our forests, with the confluence of modern science and traditional and the progress of alternative therapies, the mission can think of evolving Eco-Medico-Centers, which give the patients from all around the world, the unique mixture of advanced Indian medicinal treatments in an ambience of green clean environment in especially protected zones.

The environment ministry can work with private industry, other government departments and young entrepreneurs to facilitate the creation of such ecologically and economically sustainable development missions in the forest and tribal locations of the nation. He appealed all to make a difference to the environment and conserving bio-diversity where ever they are.

Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Company Affairs, said that we have to rededicate ourselves to preserve biodiversity for our future generations. Referring to the ministry’s work in different fields like CAMPA Fund, Mission to clean Ganga, National green Tribunal, climate change, rights of forest dwellers, pollution control, tiger reserves etc., he said this efforts will help in preserving biodiversity and our culture.

Shri Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, said the mega diversity of the country can be attributed to the fact that Indian subcontinent has a unique position on Earth. India’s biodiversity has implications beyond environment protection and climate change issues. The rich biodiversity provides an opportunity to tap these resources in a responsible manner for development. He further said that special commemorative stamps in two denominations are being brought out today by the postal department.

Sadhguru J Vasudev of Isha Foundation, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu,was awarded Indira Gandhi Pariavaran Puraskar for the year 2008 in recognition of Isha Foundation’s massive ecological initiative, called ‘Project Green Hands’ to prevent and reverse environmental degradation and to enable sustainable living.Under this project, over 300,000 Isha volunteers have raised 8.2 million trees for plantation in the last 5 years across Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Project Green Hands is a massive people’s movement to raise the green cover of Tamil Nadu by 10%.He received prize money of Rs. 5,00,000/-,along with a silver lotus trophy and a citation.

Ishita Vishnoi from Delhi was decorated with the title of “Young Environmentalist of the Year Award 2010”. National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), an institution devoted to environmental education under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests gave ‘Environmentalist of the Year Award’ (YEYA), at national level every year to the best-performing teenager in the age group of 13 – 16 years. NMNH also celebrated its 32nd Foundation Day This year the YEYA was selected through a Written Quiz Contest held all over the country. The theme chosen for the contest was “Our Biodiversity”.

E.K. Janaki Ammal National Award for Taxonomy-2008 were also given today in two categories, plant taxonomy and animal taxonomy. . In order to encourage work of excellence in taxonomy and also to motivate researchers to work in this Science, the Ministry has instituted a National Award in Taxonomy, named after the late Prof. E.K. Janaki Ammal. Late Prof. Janaki Ammal did taxonomic work of outstanding merit and excellence particularly in the area of cytotaxonomy and was a source of inspiration to many young scientists. She devoted her entire life to taxonomic work. She was associated with the Botanical Survey of India also in the capacity of Director, Central Botanical Laboratory, BSI, Allahabad.

Dr. V.J. Nair received the award for Plant Taxonomy is an outstanding grass taxonomist in the country and one of the best in the world. He has guided a number of students and has published 90 research papers in reputed journals and 4 books. He and his students have discovered and described two genera and 36 species new to science and have also published taxonomic revisionary and monographic works of outstanding quality. His works have inspired numerous young plant scientists to take-up taxonomic studies and have attracted a large number of taxonomists to pursue work on this difficult but fascinating group of flowering plants – the grasses, which contribute to basic foods for all animals and humans.

Dr. Ramakrishna who has been selected for animal taxonomy award has done outstanding work on taxonomy and conservation of land and fresh water Indian molluscs. His significant contributions include 146 research papers, a handbook each on Freshwater Molluscs and Indian Land Snails, a checklist of Indian Land Molluscs and books on Freshwater and Land Molluscs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Dr. Ramakrishna has trained a number of students on taxonomy and conservation of mollusks. This award carries a cash prize (Rs. 1,00,000), a medallion and a citation.

A book titled Pollution Control Acts, Rules and Notifications was also released on this occasion. In this edition of “Pollution Control Acts, Rules and Notifications” of CPCB Publication an effort has been made to compile the various Acts and Rules concerning protection and improvement of Environment notified by the Ministry of Environment & Forests as well as the Central Pollution Control Board. These Acts and Rules are being implemented by Ministry of Environment & Forests, Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees at the Central, State and Union Territory levels, respectively. Since the first edition was brought out in the year 1989, a number of amendments have been made in the Act & Rules and new legislations have also been enacted. This 6th edition incorporates all Amendments and Notifications issued till March 2010. It is also regarded as an authenticated reference book on Environmental issues and is brought out under CPCB’s Pollution Control Law Series (PCLS).

This volume provides an updated industry specific standards for effluents & emissions under Schedule I of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. The amendments under the various Waste Rules namely – Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Trans-boundary Movement) Rules, 2008, Biomedical Waste Rules 1998, Municipal Waste Rules 2000, Battery Rules 2001, and Plastic Rules 2003 have also been incorporated.

The book also contains the Amendments of the Environment Impact Assessment, 2006, constitution of the National Ganga River Basin Authority, Notifications relating to Eco-sensitive Zone of Matheran and Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, Mount Abu in Rajasthan, Sultanpur National Park in Haryana, amendments to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. For the first time CPCB is releasing its E-BOOK version (CD) along with the printed version.