Bio Diversity Global Summit- Window Dressing of Hyderabad!

 It is heartening to note that Hyderabad City is going to host the 11 th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COD) from October 01-19, 2012. The mega  event, which is expected to be attended by Prime Ministers/ Ministers of about 200 Nations is going to be the first really Global Summit in Hyderabad City. The convention, while reaffirming the sovereign rights of Nations over their biological resources, is expected to emphasize the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components.

 Indian National Scenario of Bio-diversity

India's bio-diversity is under an unprecedented assault from multiple sources under the guise of Development and GDP growth rate. The vast tracts of wilderness areas are submerged due to the ill planned dams, fragmented and destroyed due to large industrial and infrastructure projects and grabbing the forest lands by avaricious builder-politician-bureaucrat nexus.

 Out of the reported global population of Greater Adjutant Storks (GAS) of 1500, around 900 are found in the plains of the Brahmaputra valley in Assam. Their numbers are reported to be declining because of on going destruction/encroachment of wetlands and removal of nesting and roosting trees.

Guwahati is now reported to have the largest concentration of these birds in the world, with majority of them seen in the city's only garbage dumping site near the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary, as majority of the roosting trees are located in private lands and most of them have been cut down. 

 

 AP State Scenario of Bio-diversity  

 

Out of 99 National Parks, forming part of the Network of 664 Protected Areas in the country, 5 National Parks are identified and notified in AP State. Hyderabad has the distinction of having 3 of them- KBR, Mrugavani and Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Parks- in and around the city. These 3 National parks are facing the problems either by Human Assault, Fragmentation, and Official Neglect.

 

The notified Kolleru Wild Life Sanctuary (KWLS) Kolleru is one of the Ramsar Wetlands of international importance identified for protection under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, of which India is a signatory. Yet it was plundered by fish-pond lobby with the connivance of the policy and decision makers, till the Supreme Court intervened. Because of political compulsions, the A P State Legislative Assembly passed a resolution recommending the reduction of  the area of KWLS  from Contour +5 to +3, for satisfying  the greed of fish-pond lobby at the expense of KWLS.

 

The wetlands of considerable ecological importance near Telineelapuram, an Important Bird Area ( IBA) in Srikakulam district are being destroyed by the proposed Thermal Power Plants in the area.

 

Window Dressing of Hyderabad for Global Summit !

 

From the above it is evident that the Government of India (GOI) and the State Governments do not honour their Constitutional obligation and commitment to International community, to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the biodiversity.

What message GOI is trying to convey, by spending huge sums of tax payers money, just to improve the appearance of roads covered by the route of the VIP Delegates to the venue of the Global Summit? What useful purpose will be served, while the policies of GOI continue to ignore the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components?

 

It is nothing but a mockery & cosmetic widow dressing, resulting in wasteful expenditure and serving no useful purpose of any consequence.

 

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