Climate change and environmental pollution are serious causes for concern especially due to their negative impact on the agricultural system in India where the economy is based on agriculture.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Doon University, Prof Gajendra Singh said this while speaking on agriculture and climate change at the World Environment Day programme organised jointly by the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) and National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) Uttarakhand chapter here on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh said most scientists across the world agreed that global climatic change was occurring at an accelerated rate. Decrease in rainfall period was causing drought on the one hand while on the other hand increased intensity of road in a shorter time is fuelling floods. There was need for further improvement in technology for conservation of environment, he stressed.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Garhwal University, Prof AN Purohit stressed on the need of improving the social environment first for improving the ecology. A scientific environment would have to be developed among the general masses to nurture a scientific temperament which in turn will encourage environmental conservation, he added.
Earlier, the UCOST director general Dr Rajendra Dobhal welcomed the gathering and said that the council would work to develop a scientific atmosphere in the State. Environmentalist working on the grass-roots level, Kishan Singh Malda of Mandalsera village in Bageshwar district was specially honoured by the council on the occasion for his commendable contribution to environmental conservation.
Malda had started the production of traditional seeds from the young age of 18 years and due to his consistent efforts more than 3.25 lakh saplings have been distributed free of cost and planted till date. Committed to conservation of endangered tree species, he has planted saplings of 160 endangered species.
He also used two bigha of family land to develop the Devki Devi Vriksh Vatika in the name of his mother apart from which he also played a major role in developing the Nanda Smriti Vatika outside Bageshwar in Nileshwar and Kotbhramri. By planting trees, he rejuvenated two dried out water sources near his village. Speaking on the occasion, Malda said that he appealed all schools of the State to take the help of the Forest Department to plant trees on their campus. This will instill a sense of responsibility towards the environment among the students, he said.