GUWAHATI, April 19 � The North-east is one of the two biodiversity hotspots in the country, the other being the Western Ghat region, and therefore, it is essential to ensure ecological security in the region while planning for its economic development, said Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary-general of Aaranyak on Saturday.
Addressing a seminar on environment and sustainable development held on the occasion of launching of �Access to justice and socio-economic development for the NE states�, Dr Talukdar said: �The economic model so far pursued in the rest of India has been found wanting in respect of striking balance with environment conservation efforts and will not be suitable for ecologically sensitive region. We need to hear the voice of nature while chalking out blue print for economic development.�
He said that a highly ecologically sensitive region like the North-east where the topography is characterized by the presence of flood plains to snow-capped mountains, it demands tremendous insight and vision to have a growth model that will be able to strike a balance between development and biodiversity conservation.
�For that we have to differentiate between what we need and how much we want in terms of development as well as preservation of our precious and pristine ecosystem. We have to wonder about the logic behind planning multiple dams on the same river at different point along its course, especially in an area which is considered seismically highly active,� he said.
He denounced quantitative assessment of outcome of conservation efforts, terming it unrealistic in terms of giving the actual picture. For example, he pointed out that the conservation efforts in Kaziranga National Park were much trumpeted as a grand success because numbers of rhinos, elephants and even tigers are increasing. �An unusual increase of these animals in a single protected can be a dangerous indicator. It may be because of destruction of habitats in surrounding areas, animals have flocked into Kaziranga�s safety. Kaziranga�s ecosystem is highly dependent on preservation of forest in Karbi Anglong hills,� Dr Talukdar said.
He also raised the alarm over the rising trend of wildlife-related crimes in the region and called upon the judiciary to be pro-active in respect of activating the enforcing machinery responsible for checking such crimes.
