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NEWS NOTES
National Conference on Environment at Science City

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usm-red.gif (836 bytes)National conference on environment
Environmentalists conference at Calcutta
usm-red.gif (836 bytes)Revival of ECL
Centre speaks in two voices

by Staff Correspondent

Calcutta recently hosted the national Conference on Environment. The  Conference on Environment recorded  with great concern that our Planet Earth is getting increasingly polluted. India's environment degradation has also been accelerated, especially in the post-independence period. A lot of activity without considering the pros and cons of physical environment around has landed us in this situation. Poverty, illiteracy, ill health, sub-human living standard of majority Indians demand speedy development of our country. Notwithstanding the fact that there is a steady deterioration of environment, we can not set aside the burning question of upliftment of these poor; after all poverty is the worst pollutant. Environment and peoples' development must be complimentary to each other. The conference held at Science City, Calcutta from 2nd to 5th January 1999. The Conference was inaugurated by Chief Minister Shri Jyoti Basu and attended by 400 delegates from all over the country.

The Conference resolves to take up the following major issues for a secured future of our society.

  1. There should be on effective "National Environment Policy and proper action plan" which should be framed after wide consultation.
  2. Environment consciousness among the masses should be raised by joint efforts of various forums, research agencies, NGOs, Media, Government and semi-government departments and individuals.
  3. Priority must be given on peoples' interest. And for that purpose local bodies like, Panchayats and Municipalities, which are grassroots level elected bodies are to be utilised to the fullest possible extent with regards to handling environmental problems. Peoples' participatory management is to be ensured at all levels.
  4. In the present day world, especially in the regime of WTO, policies are to be adopted after safeguarding national interest with respect to bio-diversity, mineral wealth, human resources and traditional knowledge bank of the country. Environment should be protected from permanent degradations for the benefit of self-reliant economy.
  5. Indigenous documentation, monitoring, research on our natural wealth is to be further encouraged and bio-piracy is to prevented.
  6. Right to information in regards to environmental issues is to be ensured. Issues and policies related to environment should be made transparent to the society as a whole.

 The Conference begin organised by Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha, Department of Environment, Government of West Bengal and West Bengal Pollution Control Board, is of first kind in our country, both in dimension and quality. About 150 papers were submitted from different States, 40 invited lectures were also organised.

Among other dignitaries, Sri Manabendra Mukherjee, the Minister of Environment Depatment, Sri Debkumar Bose, Chairman of WBPCB, Dr. Dilip Biswas, the Chairman of Central PCB, Sri Sridip Bhattacharyya, the General Secretary of the Organising Committee were presents in the dais. About 3000 interested people assembled in the auditorium to hear them.

Nearly 400 delegates joined in the delegate sessions. The papers were divided in six sessions. Policy, Environment of agriculture, Problems of Urbanisation, Role of NGOs, Environment of Coastline and environmental problems of Industries. Interesting papers were submitted by the experts and debates, cross arguments surfaced in the meetings. At the valedictory programmes, reports came from six sessions. After that Dr. A.K. Maitra of school of Planning and Architecture gave the valedictory lecture on city planning. Prof. S.K. Mukherjee, the former vice-chancellor of Calcutta University chaired the session.

Sridip Bhattacharyya moved a resolution and after short deliberation it was passed unanimously.





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