Gogoi advocates for human-animal co-existence

Expressing serious concern over the growing conflicts between man and nature, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that the conflicts could be resolved through peaceful co-existence.

“All living things on earth can live through peaceful co-existence and communion with nature. Conflicts with nature would lead to disasters and put our very survival at stake,” said Gogoi while addressing the 36th Indian Geographers’ Meet 2015 and International Seminar on Environmental Changes and Challenges: Local, Regional and Global Perspectives organised by the Department of Geography, Gauhati University at Jalukbari in Guwahati.

Harping on conservation of wetlands, forests, hills and water bodies, CM Gogoi said, “In the wake of global warming due to wanton destruction of natural resources, there is the urgent need to arrest the dangerous trend and to make judicious use of the natural resources for sustainable economic development. Plenty of resources make people complacent. Only when there are limited resources, it makes the people to work hard. Israel and Singapore with limited resources have made progress because of proper utilisation of resources.”

Gogoi called for proper scientific study and participating of the people in awareness programmes for proper conservation of natural resources. “Participation of the people must be ensured. Only then we may achieve our goals of sustainable resource use and conservation,” he added.

The Chief Minister stressed on clean, green and renewable energy to contain the severe problem of pollution and land degradation due to excessive use of chemical fertilisers. Gogoi hoped that the deliberations in the conference would contribute substantially towards understanding and mitigating the problems, including flood and erosion.