Conserve nature or perish

VADODARA, March 22: Global 5008242; laureate and General Secretary of International Society of Naturalists INSONA G M Oza has appealed to the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP to arrest environmental degradation and curb population growth in India.

In his message for the World Forestry Day on Sunday, Oza stated that India featured as the second largest populace on Earth with the population projected to reach a staggering 2,135 million by the year 2025. 8220;Yet there are many signs that the country has already exceeded its capacity, if only through its stalling efforts to feed its vast numbers,8221; he said.

Stating that a good part of India8217;s economy depended on the natural resource base, Oza pointed out to the declining forest cover in the country. 8220;Much of the deforestation is due to excessive fuel gathering and agricultural encroachment. By the year 2000, the gap will be much larger as India8217;s population continue to grow and its forests continue to contract,8221; he said.

The only option left for the Indian populace, said Oza, was to conserve or perish. 8220;We all have to live in harmony with nature if at all we wish a rosy future for our future generations,8221; he said.