Western Ghats to be protected: Chief Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 4 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanadan today stressed the need for protecting the Western Ghats, as it was considered to be one of the major hot-spots of bio-diversity in the world.

Inaugurating a conference of Forest Ministers of Southern States here, he said the rivers originating from the mountains of the Western and Eastern Ghats nourished the land below in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichierry and Kerala and sustained the life and economy.

Mr Achuthanandan said ''we can never survive without these rivers and these rivers cannot survive without the rich vegetation of forests.'' Pointing out that borders are always problem areas and anti-social elements like ganja and sandalwood mafias, poachers and smugglers taking advantage of the weakness of the state machinery, he said such threats should be checked jointly through an inter-state co-ordinated approach at the policy level and collective action at the ground level.

Stating that forests in the Southern States had suffered from destruction in their extent and quality, which had seriously affected the seasonal flow of water in the rivers, he said ''we should put in hard work to restore the forest and tree cover in all ecologically sensitive areas for safeguarding our present and future interests.'' In his keynote address, Karnataka Forest Minister C Chennigappa stressed the need for a joint action in various fields related with forestry and wildlife like research, development, border protection, sharing of experience in management of forests and wildlife, including joint forest management.

On issues like checking sandalwood and timber smuggling, wildlife poaching, investigation and protection, he said it must be done in a unified manner.

Pointing out that without the active support of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and the Union Government, the increasing incidents of red sandal smuggling in the state could not be contained, Andhra Pradesh Forest Minister Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju suggested holding of regular inter-state border meetings with the officials of these states at least once in a quarter.

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