The Himalaya Day was observed at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) and the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (IISWC) here on Wednesday.
At FRI, the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education director general and FRI director, Arun Singh Rawat presided over the online event. He spoke about the importance of Himalaya and their role in conservation and sustenance of nature and the challenges being faced due to climate change.
Delivering the guest lecture, professor of environmental studies at Delhi University, Maharaj K Pandit spoke of the geophysical, geo-biological, biological and cultural aspects and their inter-relationship within the Himalayan ecosystem. He stressed the fact the Himalaya is a global heritage and should not be thought of belonging to any one nation. He also pointed at the challenges being faced by the mountain range- the most prominent being climate change.
At IISWC, considering precautions in view of Covid-19, the event was marked division/section wise under the directions of the institute director RS Yadav. Speaking on the occasion, Yadav assured that the institute will continue to strive for the sustainable management of Himalayas. Heads of various divisions spoke on services provided by Himalaya and emphasised on the need for the conservation of Himalayan ecosystem in their respective divisions. All the staff members also took an oath regarding conservation of soil and water to save the Himalaya and life.