Odisha needs a sustainable environment policy for both economic development and environment protection and media has a greater role to play in shaping the perception of human-nature relationship, said environmentalist Dr Sudhi Ranjan, while addressing a seminar “Mass Media and Environment Challenges” at Dhenkanal.
Dr Sudhi Ranjan told that media needs to provide and portray alternative environmental discourses and alternative voices. “Mindless consumerism undermines the sanctity of nature. We must understand the perceptions of nature found in religion, traditional practices, drawing largely from examples of Odisha, where a strong tradition of environmentalism exists in folklore that has shaped individual and community outlook towards nature,” he observed.
He said the traditional environmentalism, however, stands opposed to the present political ideologies and paradigms, vested in quick industrialization through mineral resource extraction. The conflict between traditional environmental thought and persistent attitudes of development has resulted in many people’s movements, told Dr Sudhi Ranjan.
Presiding over the seminar, MASS chairman SB Mishra told, “Though Odisha boasts of rich natural resources, these are being degraded over time. While forests, land and surface water resources are undergoing severe degradation, ground water, minerals and air are under serious threat. Not only the different patterns of development in the State have led to the degradation of these natural resources, but also other factors like the growth of population and the unsustainable activities adopted by them have become crucial for the degradation of valuable natural resources. The adoption of unsustainable activities is, however, driven by the market and institutional failure. It provides incentives to the poor to have short time preferences and to the rich to exploit the resource base at unsustainable rate.”
He further said the degradation of natural resources has not only reduced the economic base of the State but also affected the environment adversely. The adverse impacts like change in climatic condition, increased flooding, decreased productivity, water shortage, increased infant mortality and morbidity rate, etc. are some of the outcomes of continuing degradation. In the absence of proper measures to reduce the degradation of natural resources, the problem will be aggravated. He called for formulation of a policy to deal with environment factors in Odisha.
Among others, the two-day seminar was addressed and participated by CR Sahu, Dr Manas Ranjan Dash, Prof Pratap Singh, Bijay Mishra and Prativa Dash.