Biological diversity, sustainability should go together: Union Min

CHENNAI: “By reducing the use of pesticides, natural farming will be the way forward for India. Additionally, the biological diversity movement will be merged with sustainability, keeping the Access Benefit Sharing (ABS) as a paramount,” said Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, inaugurating the International Day of Biodiversity celebrations in Chennai on Sunday.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) together with the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Wetland Authority, National Tiger Conservation Authority, Tamil Nadu State Biodiversity Board conducted an exhibition to celebrate biological diversity day.

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Govt of Tamil Nadu Siva V Meyyanathan attended the event. Besides, chairpersons and member secretaries of 28 state biodiversity boards and eight union territory biodiversity councils and representatives from stakeholder organisations from different parts of the country also participated and interacted with the ministers.

Replying to the questions raised by a few from the audience, Yadav said, “ABS is an important factor as it will be helping the marginalised communities. The ministry is also taking measures to improve the livelihood of people. Overall, biological diversity should be a movement.”

On customising Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the minister said the government will consider the proposal to ensure maximum benefit to the public.

Further, during the event, it was also confirmed that with the Tamil Nadu government donating land to construct an NBA office inside Anna University campus, the construction for the same is set to begin soon.

Supriya Sahu, Principal Secretary, Environment Climate Change and Forest, TN suggested sharing the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) with biodiversity boards of the State as funds shortage tend to cause hindrance in program implementation at state-level.

Stone laid for 100-bedded ESIC hospital

Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav laid the foundation stone for a 100 bedded ESIC hospital in Sriperumbudur, near here, on Sunday. Yadav said the hospital will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 155 crore and will have the facilities of general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, including paediatrics, emergency, critical care, intensive care (ICU), anaesthesia, ophthalmology, dermatology and venereology (Skin & VD), (ENT), pulmonology and dentistry.