P K Mishra,
SOIB (State of Indian Birds’ Survey) published today in The Hindustan Times and other publications must receive the urgent attention of several government agencies besides MOEF so that remaining habitats can yet be saved for future generations.
Grasslands need to be preserved is something that governments have not been paying attention to; decision-makers who either do not have the desire, time or inclination to admire or preserve what nature has gifted Bharat.
They need to be sent on courses with WWF I and other similar organisations.
Same goes for the Marine Environment.
While posted at Army HQ in the early nineteen eighties I had the opportunity to present the first paper on Coastal Zone Regulations to Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. She referred me to Zahur Qasim*, Secretary Ocean Development. Since he was listening with interest I invited his attention to Rachel Carson’s beautiful Trilogy on the Sea. She became famous with her book ,’The Silent Spring’ perhaps the most powerful book ever that made the world aware of what humankind had been mindlessly doing to its environment. As a first step DDT was banned.
Beaches away from busy areas are again mindlessly lighted up for humans ignoring the saga of life that plays itself out on them in the hours of darkness. Sheer poetry in her Trilogy.
In like manner so-called experts and decision-makers were found to be ignorant of the need of anadromous species to travel upstream to spawn. For example in North America the Conger Eel swims hundreds of kilometres upstream to spawn.
In our hill states dozens upon dozens of our deciders glibly talk by calling it mere run of the river dams and so on. Fish ladders are inefficient.
Immediate recommendations for the PMs consideration:
- Rachel Carson’s books be introduced in syllabi of schools throughout the country; Hindi and language translations with permission of publishers.
Ditto for compulsory study (hold exams if required) for all agencies dealing with land, see and air environments.
Other measures recommended by commitee set up for the purpose for early implementation.
Should the above steps be followed through purposefully the following will happen:
- crime across the land will come down dramatically;
- the natural environment will improve equally dramatically within the decade;
- people will start behaving more graciously with each other;
- Vishwa Guru will have set an example for the world to follow leading to goodwill among nations.
VS
www.vinodsaighal.com
New Delhi October 14, 2023
Book “Restructuring Indian Democracy” by VS has full chapters on related subjects.
- Zahur Qasim felt that the minimum distance 500M for construction from the shoreline for CRZ A at Neap Tide was perhaps too much. My reply: ” by the time politicians whittle it down it will come down to 300M”.
He smiled.
—
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