Expressing concern over extinction of some plants and animal species, Governor Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that due to dwindling biodiversity in last 100 years more than 90 per cent of local and indigenous farming has disappeared. Several traditional pet animals are getting extinct. Similarly, different food production systems are in the list of getting endangered.
Murmu made this observation at a workshop held at city-based hotel on the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity. The theme of this year Biological Diversity is “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health’.
The Governor said, “Due to deficiency of different nutritious vitamin and minerals in our food habit, people are getting ill and diseases such as diabetics, obesity and malnutrition have become common diseases.” She further said that today people are getting over dependent to allopathic medicines and at the same time they are getting away from traditional or indigenous means of treatment.
The Governor also expressed caution over unscientific and half-hazard use of natural resources and bio- diversity which has lead to untimely rainfall, increase in temperature, land sliding and other natural disasters.
Murmu said, “Today several animals and bird species are in the list of endangered, the local flora and fauna are getting extinct. Time has come that we have to conserve our natural resources and biodiversity. The protection of biodiversity should not be limited to only forest department or the agencies engaged in protecting environment, but people especially college and school going youths and children, different government agencies and social organisations should come forward in protecting the environment and biodiversity.”
The Governor on this occasion also briefed about the ways through which biodiversity and natural resources could be protected. Things that an individual can do or practices which will be beneficial in conservation of biodiversity are to reduce the consumption of meat, eat and purchase seasonal food, reduce wastage of foods, avoid using plastics straw, coffee cups, glasses, water bottles. Also it is necessary to promote local and indigenous biodiversity for food and nutrition.
Jharkhand Biodiversity Board (JBB) chairman L R Singh present on the occasion highlighted the work carried out by the board for protection of biodiversity. Singh said, “The Board has constituted more than 4700 agencies which are working for protection of biodiversity. These agencies include representatives from panchayat, local bodies. There task is to create awareness on biodiversity.”
Singh briefed the importance of honey bees in maintaining natural biodiversity. He said, “Honey bees are helpful in pollination of nearly 13,000 plants species.
If honey bees are extinct or endangered than for artificial pollination of these plants, it will incur an expenditure of nearly Rs 13.33 lakh crore across the globe.”
Singh said that around 150 scientists from 50 countries in their research which they carried out for fifteen years have come to know that in last few decades more than 10 lakh species of plants and animals have become extinct.
On the occasion, the large number of students from government as well as private educational institutions, persons engaged in protecting biodiversity participated.
