Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has urged the Centre to chalk out a plan for utilisation of natural resources– water, natural gas and bio-diversity, for sustainable economic development of the northeast and combat climate change.
Addressing the scientists and policy makers in National Seminar on Water, Energy and Bio-diversity, organised by the Institute of Engineers (India), Agartala Centre here last evening, Mr Sarkar blamed the Centre for non-harnessing immense natural resource potential of the region.
“With the water flow from northeast, the country could have produced 6000 MW hydro-power, NE could have set up big pharmaceutical industries or herbal manufacturing units with the bio-diversity resource but nothing was done the over past six decades,” he said.
He chief minister, however, pointed out that despite having plenty of water, most of the northeastern states could not even ensure irrigation facilities in potential agricultural field and added that purified drinking water supply to all was still a challenge for the northeastern state governments because of faulty policy and the Centre’s apathy towards the region. (UNI)