Keri | Jun 29, 2015: "Although the Biodiversity Act was passed in 2002, a large section of people are not aware of it. There is an urgent need to create awareness regarding this Act and students should be involved in the process of documentation of biodiversity," said Madhav Gadgil, a veteran environmentalist at Sane Guruji hall of the government high school Keri-Sattari.
Speaking as a chief guest for a series of lectures organized by Goa University under the extension service unit, he further said, "The Act has been passed 13 years ago. In order to manage the biodiversity of a local area, this Act has a lot of provisions. The environment impact assessment done for the proposed Mopa international airport has been based on unrealistic facts and figures. Scientists, researchers of Goa University and other institutes should come forward to show what are the follies committed by the agency involved in making the EIA report for the proposed Mopa airport."
"The government authorities have miserably failed in protecting the environment and ecology. Rivers in various parts are polluted and fish and aquatic life are dying. If complaints are lodged the concerned authorities are not serious in taking action against the law breakers. When I had cross-checked an EIA done by an agency for a mining company at Cavrem in Quepem taluka, it had not recorded two perennial springs which are in its vicinity and it had also not mentioned the sacred groves that had been protected by the local tribals. The geological map too had no record of these springs. The biodiversity management committee has to prepare a biodiversity register and a specimen for the electronic database for collecting information," he said.
There is an urgent need to document various types of water bodies, flora and fauna, mountain peaks by involving students under the guidance of teachers, educators of biodiversity, he emphasized.
Writer Maria Aurora Couto, who was present as the guest of honour, said, "We have to protect our Goa for posterity. Today, there are a number of forces posing a threat to environment and ecology of the small state. Local people are struggling to protect their villages from haphazard development, whereas government instead of helping them is making efforts to curb their voices."
The incharge headmaster Digambar Bhaje, welcomed the guests and Subodh Phadke compered the programme. Professor RamraoWagh and Rupesh Patkar were present on the dais.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)