On International Biodiversity Day: World calls for preservation of mother nature

In a bid to commemorate International Day for Biological Diversity, National Biodiversity Authority under Ministry of Environment organised a gathering on Sunday. Addressing the gathering Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao called for making preservation of bio-diversity a "people's movement" and urged the youth to become stakeholders in efforts to preserve flora, fauna and other varieties of life.

Rao said, "Drastic climatic changes witnessed in the country are posing serious challenges like droughts and floods leading to loss of bio-diversity. Needless to say, India needs a comprehensive policy to tackle the global climatic change to protect the life and livelihood of our people and to protect bio-diversity.”

Besides, the Governor emphasized the need for a partnership among the governments, agricultural research institutions, business organisations, NGOs and farmers to meet challenges of food security and also of preserving the biological diversity.

"Time has come to make the bio-diversity preservation a people's movement. We are a nation with highest number of youths. We must make youths stakeholders in the effort to preserve our biodiversity," he added.

I do feel, said Rao, that the International Day of Biological Diversity should be celebrated in villages, towns and cities, in village panchayats and in Municipal Corporations.

Reiterating the message Rao said the International Day of Biological Diversity should also be celebrated in all schools and colleges to make aware the students about bio-diversity and the impending threats to it. "We must persuade the corporate sector to take up the conservation of biodiversity as part of their social responsibility obligation. Empowering Gram Sabhas in the scheduled areas will go a long way in preserving biodiversity. We must provide incentives to Gram Panchayats preserving biodiversity and empowering communities," said Rao.

The Governor said that as the chancellor of agricultural universities in Maharashtra, he would ask all vice-chancellors to take up the subject of biodiversity on top of their agenda. (With inputs from PTI)