Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands

The Congress was jointly organised by Centre for Environment and Development (CED), Thiruvananthapuram and the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 

Inauguration of the conference

Around 350 participants including eminent scientists, agricultural experts and students participated in the event. The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri. Oommen Chandy. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister, highlighted that development and environment were linked and that the approach to the cause of agriculture and environment needed to be realistic since the state could not neglect both development and environment. He also pointed out that Kerala was one state having a very high reputation in preserving and protecting the forest cover, which was much  higher than the national average in the state. This was possible due to the will and awareness of the people of Kerala. He emphasised the need for a more realistic approach to deal with issues related to the agriculture and environment.

Inaugural speech by the Chief Minister of Kerala

Need for inclusion of the subject 'water' in the Concurrent List of the Constitution to put in place a comprehensive legislative framework

“According to a folk tale, the pond was developed by Lakha Banjara, a nomad trader whose tribe used to stay put in the area on its way to bigger cities.

The Kottooli wetlands is the largest eco-patch in the Kozhikode city limits. It is interlinked with the man-made Canoly Canal which receives tidal influx from the Kallai and Korapuzha estuaries.  The wetland system has been subjected to degradation and loss of biodiversity owing to reclamation, pollution and human intervention, the CWRDM action plan highlights.

The land use pattern of the area in the vicinity of Khablir Beel, Bilkanda, Mahispota and Bodai as seen from Survey of India Topo Sheet 79 B/6 (surveyed in 1958–59 and published in 1973), is predominantly piscicultural and agricultural.  The Khardah Khal with its connection to river Hugli (Ganga) is the main source of surface water to this area.  Again a Topographical Map prepared by Panihati M

Bangalore’s garbage crisis grows in heaps and mounds

The city is drowning in its own waste with garbage trucks regularly lined up for hours, their burdens putrefying in the afternoon sun. Some neighborhoods have not had trash pickups for nearly three weeks, and vast mounds of garbage are scattered through out the city.

Rajasthan High Court orders strict action against those threatening Udaipur lakes

Twenty years after ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity, and ten years after promulgating the Biological Diversity Act, India continues to use doublespeak in dealing with its rivers and their biodiversity