Environment scientists from across the country converged here for a three-day national conference and at length discussed how to maintain sustainable development without causing harm to the natural environment and to take calculated measures to prevent erosion along the vast tract of coastline of the country and preserve biodiversity of the nature.
The experts focused on the violations in the environment laws causing pollution in the air and water leading to climate change. They pointed out that the increase in the temperature of the earth is causing meltdown of icebergs and glaciers, thereby increasing the seawater level. It has been noticed that the entire coastline of the country has been experiencing large-scale erosion and some human habitats and cities along the coast are threatened by the ingress of sea. Similarly, climate change has been causing extreme cold which was witnessed in the USA and now in the UK and Japan.
In Odisha, there are many eco-sensitive and fragile wetlands like the brackish water Chilika lagoon and Bhitarkanika which need to be preserved to maintain the biodiversity. For this, the speakers stressed on creating mass awareness among people, particularly students.
They too opined that the authorities should take stringent legal actions against the violators of the environment protection laws and the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
The use of polythene, synthetic materials and abuse of underground water should be regulated properly.
The fresh water for use of living beings is very small in quantity and should be preserved by all means, they said.
The conference was organised jointly by the Botany Department of the SCS Junior College and the Academy of Plant Sciences of India (APSI), Muzaffarnagar (UP).
APSI President Dr P Kausik and SCS Junior College Principal UN Mohanty presided over the daily sessions while Bibhuprasad Satpathy and SP Mahapatra conducted the proceedings of the conference. The APSI awarded gold medals to a number of senior environmentalists for their outstanding works. Environmentalists from 15 States participated in the deliberations while a large number of students of local colleges were present.
The scientists who addressed the conference included Odisha’s noted environmentalist Jagannath Bastia, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor SP Rath, SK Gupta, Kumkumlata, SA Salgare, Ramreddy, VP Medhalkar, Geeta, Nilakshi Devi and Narmada Mahapatra.
A poster competition among school and college students on environment issues was also organised on the occasion as part of involving students in the awareness campaign.
The event was inaugurated by Odisha Minister of Tourism and Culture Maheswar Mohanty while chief of State Pollution Control Board BK Pattnaik addressed the gathering on the concluding day.