Correspondent
IMPHAL, June 9
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a move to save and conserve the biodiversity of the region, Manipur Biodiversity Board (MBB) has established 45 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) across the tiny north eastern state.
This was disclosed by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator Dr Khaizalian, who is the member secretary of the Manipur Biodiversity Board (MBB), while attending a day-long awareness programme for students on biodiversity conservation at Advance Intermediate Public School and Advance Intermediate College hall at Moirang, about 42 km south of Imphal town, in Bishnupur district on Monday.Speaking on the programme which was held under the aegis of state Forest department and MBB in association with the school authority, senior forest official Khaizalian also appealed to the masses to judiciously use the natural resources in the interest of the future generation.
“The people should not to give unbearable pressure to our biodiversity”, said Additional Principal Chief Conservator Dr Khaizalian who is the member secretary of the Manipur Biodiversity Board (MBB). “The time has come to properly implement the Biodiversity Act 2002 and Biodiversity Rules 2006”.
The experts working in the field of life science and environment have stressed the need to take up necessary steps to conserve the biological diversity for a better tomorrow.
Head Lecturer RK Birjit of Mangolnganbi College’s Life Science department and former principal of Kumbi College K Jugeshwar besides Advance Intermediate Public School and Advance Intermediate College Principal K Jugindro also spoke on the occasion.
According to Kumbi College principal Jugeshwar, the popular pink headed duck was also sighted last at Loktak Lake in Manipur in 1932.Since then the duck has disappeared from the water bodies of the state.
One species was reported extinct every 30 minutes. Presently there are around 20 million species in the planet earth against 500 million species (some 3.5 billion years ago), according to the experts.
If the same trend of utilizing the limited natural resources goes on, it is believed that human beings may disappear from the surface of the earth after about 800 years. So time has come to change the lifestyle for a sustainable livelihood, they felt.
Urging the people to think scientifically and act scientifically, noted environmentalist and former lecturer of the DM College of Science Dr Khangembam Shamungou, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, appealed to the public to maintain a healthy biodiversity for healthy environment for healthy human survival.
