By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 5 Mar: A joint press conference was held today by the Uttarakhand Bio-Diversity Board and Law College, Dehradun. It was addressed by Board Member Secretary SS Raseilly, Principal & Dean of Law College, Dehradun, Dr Rajesh Bahuguna, representatives of GIZ Dr Pradeep Mehta, Dr Anil Joshi, Dr Poonam Rawat, Dr Lakshmi Priya and Dr Shikha Uniyal ‘Gairola’.
It was stated on the occasion that that Bio-Diversity embodies the solutions of many complex human problems. Studies indicate that all creatures existing in nature have their rationale. It is also true that people living in a particular region and using natural resources have enormous knowledge of their surroundings, which passes from one generation to another.
It is necessary to learn adequate and proper use bio-resources as well as to prepare the genetic basis of bio-natural resources. Nature provides a splendid live laboratory for the development and research oriented studies concerning bio-diversity and its conservation. In fact, the local people directly associated with the use of bio-resources are the primary conservators of the same.
It was recalled that, in 2002, the Bio-Diversity Conservation Act, 2002, was passed for the protection, sustenance and accrual of benefits from Bio-Diversity. For the same purpose, the Uttarakhand Bio-Diversity Board was set up for the implementation of the Bio-Diversity Act. The Board has, so far, established Bio-Diversity Management Committees at the village and block levels for achieving the objectives of the Act. As many as 7991 Committees have already been set up, while 125 Companies have been listed for use and joint benefit deals, and notices have been issued for proper implementation of the same. More than 100 companies have taken the initiatives regarding joint profit payments.
It is noteworthy that three states of the country, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, are successfully running Indo-German and Joint Profit Projects, under the auspicious of which a series of Training Programmes, Awareness Workshops and Seminars are being organised through Deutsche Geselschaft For Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
It was emphasised that the moral responsibility of legal institutions of the government and institutions like Law College Dehradun was to disseminate legal information regarding Bio-Diversity to the masses, in general, and the institutions using Bio-Resources, in particular. For this purpose, a training programme under the joint auspicious of Uttarakhand Bio-Diversity Board and Law College Dehradun, is being declared to teach law students and representatives of industries on laws related to Bio-Diversity. The classes will be organised in the premises of the Law College and experts will be invited to deliver lectures. The first batch shall start from April and applications have been invited for the same. It is hoped that students trained under this process would act as the vanguards of Bio-Diversity Conservation.