Le Moot Green Parliament raises environmental awareness

A moot Green Parliament aimed at educating students about environmental conservation as well as parliamentary work was organized by the Kudremukh Wildlife Division of the Forestry Department in collaboration with the Rostrum Speakers Club of educational institutions from Alvas to Moodbidri on Tuesday.

Students from seven colleges in Dakshina Kannada representing various ministerial portfolios in parliament discussed environmental issues ranging from biodiversity conservation, road widening projects, tree felling, conflict human-animal use of chemical fertilizers. The Biological Diversity Bill 2002 was passed with three amendments in Parliament. According to the draft law, a national biodiversity authority and a national biodiversity council will be formed.

Refuting the accusation of opposition leaders that artificial cultivation of medicinal plants will lead to a decline in medicinal values, the health minister said that mass cultivation using tissue culture will not only help to regenerate power, but would also help keep the vast expanses of the forest area intact. . He said that only 25% of the medicinal value will be lost in the process, which is negligible.

Another leader said steps have been taken to preserve Nagabana and Devara Kaadu in their original forms instead of limiting them only to ritual practices.

Feeding wildlife became a hot topic during the session, with many claiming that feeding birds and animals would do more harm than good, such as irregular food consumption, loss of nutrition, and impaired hunting abilities that could be akin to cruelty to animals.

Inaugurating the program earlier, Mangaluru City North MPP Y. Bharath Shetty said legislation enacted for the sole purpose of preserving forest areas without hampering the rights of forest dwellers should not be misused. at all costs.

Kudremukh Wildlife Division Deputy Forest Conservator P. Ruthren said young leaders have a central role to play in environmental conservation.

Presiding over the nomination, Moodbidri MP Umanath Kotian said the opposition and the ruling party should always engage in business with genuine concern for the people, rather simply to protect their interests.

The Chief Forest Conservator of Mangaluru Circle Prakash Natelkar and the President of the Alvas Foundation, Mr. Mohan Alva, were in attendance.