Launches research centre on marine bio-diversity
Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday criticised the country’s “blind development plans” at the cost of ecological balance.
“I am not against development but it should not be at the cost of our environment. We are presently following development plans blindly which can only lead to damage of the environment with ultimate impact on the people,” he said.
Launching the country’s first research centre on marine bio-diversity at Jamnagar in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, for the protection of the fragile coastal eco-system, Mr. Ramesh said it was clear from the popular agitations seen in different States that the people did not want such blind development unless it also simultaneously ensured protection of the environment.
In an oblique reference to the mushroom growth of ports and newer demands for setting up steel and cement plants in coastal areas, Mr. Ramesh asked: “What is the use of providing employment to the people if their health is not protected?” He held uncontrolled development of industries causing environmental pollution for the health hazards, particularly cough and cancer.
Training for youth
The National Centre for Marine Bio-diversity (NCBM), he said, would promote different kinds of research activities in respect of coastal and marine eco-systems and would also impart training and education to the youth for maintaining the ecological balance in the fragile coastal areas. The Gujarat port town was selected for the centre because of its closest proximity to the country’s only National Marine Park spread over some 200 sq km area in the Gulf of Kutch.
Mr. Ramesh said the centre would be his Ministry’s first public-private partnership venture with the Reliance Industries, which had a major oil refinery in Jamnagar, sharing the 50 per cent cost of the initial project sanction of Rs. 20 crore.
Explaining the reasons for netting Reliance group chairman Mukesh Ambani as a partner for the project, he had a dig at the government system. He said he wanted the centre to attract best of talents for research and education, “but it is not possible at the government scale to attract such brains. That is why we need the private partnership,” Mr. Ramesh said.
The Union Minister, however, made it clear that partnering in the centre did not mean “permission” to the Reliance or any other industry in the coastal region to pollute the environment. “If Reliance failed to keep the norms, my Ministry will not spare it,” he said.
Mr. Ramesh, who earlier visited the National Marine Park, expressed his displeasure over its upkeep and asked the State forest authorities to remove the industrial pollution from the vicinity.