SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister RC Laloo, who is also Minister for Science and Technology, stated that after the ban on coal mining, fishes have reappeared in a certain river in Jaintia Hills.
Laloo shared an anecdote of his childhood experiences during the two-day North East Regional Brainstorming Workshop on Bio-Resources Development and Sustainable Utilization at NEC Auditorium, Nongrim Hills, Shillong on Monday.
Laloo stated that there is a river in his home district of Jaintia Hills where rural folks would fish from but following the unscientific coal mining the fishes had disappeared. But after the ban on coal mining in the last two years, the fishes have reappeared, Laloo said.
Laloo pointed out that there is a need to dwell on the root cause of the disappearance/reduction of biodiversity.
Meanwhile, Dr BD Tiwari, Secretary, Planning Department said that the aim of the workshop is to explore the rich biodiversity of North Eastern states by developing a road map with the intervention of science and technology, for the development and sustainable use of bio-resources.
Pointing to the threats faced by assets of nature due to rash and unsustainable development he said that it is the need of the hour to work out a road map and promote, conserve and explore bio-resources in a sustainable way.
Dr Tiwari said it is necessary to collaborate with national institutes that are already working in the field and to explore bio-diversity in a sustainable manner.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Aslam, Adviser of Department of Bio-technology, Government of India, stated that there is a need to set up a task force to follow up on the recommendations in order better to implement the recommendations. Aslam said that the task force would work consistently to implement the recommendations after the culmination of the workshop.
