Karnataka govt demonstrating how economic growth, ecological sustainability can go together: Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Hailing the Karnataka government's decision to declare its lands in the Yelahanka taluk of Bengaluru Urban district as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said the Siddaramaiah-led dispensation was demonstrating how economic growth, social development and ecological sustainability could go hand-in-hand.
The Karnataka government on Monday notified 5,678 acres and 32 guntas of land in the Yelahanka taluk as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve.
The notification came after the state Cabinet last month decided to declare the grassland as a conservation reserve.
Reacting to the development, former Union environment minister Ramesh said the Karnataka government had been attracting very many new investments since May 2023.
It has also been implementing historic income support, food security and other guarantees, he added.
"Now, it has taken a bold decision to finally declare about 5,700 acres of government lands in the Yelahanka taluk of Bengaluru Urban district as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972," Ramesh said in a post on X.
This grassland reserve is critical and, as a large catchment area, will greatly help in groundwater recharge for farmers in surrounding villages, Ramesh said.
It will augment the water supply to Bengaluru city, he further said.
"It will provide a natural carbon sink that mitigates effects of climate change in urban areas. It protects a rich biodiversity ecosystem that includes animals, insects, plants and trees, many of which are under serious threat," Ramesh said.
It will be a safe home for migratory birds arriving from Europe, Central Asia, Himalayan regions and the Arctic Circle, he noted.
"The Karnataka government is demonstrating how economic growth, social development and ecological sustainability can go hand-in-hand, as indeed they must at all times. This is a model for other states as well," the Congress general secretary said.
A notification dated February 24 states that the Karnataka government deemed it desirable to declare the specified area as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve due to its ecological, faunal, floral and geomorphological significance.
The government issued the notification to protect, propagate and develop the grassland, its wildlife and the crucial catchment area around Hesaraghatta, which serves as one of Bengaluru's water sources.
It clarified that the conservation reserve would not include any 'patta land' or affect existing rights.
The privileges of surrounding villagers will remain unaffected by this notification, it added.
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UAE condemns 'terrorist' attack on Indian-flagged vessel off Oman coast
Dubai (PTI): The UAE has condemned a strike on an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman, calling it a "terrorist attack" and a "dangerous escalation" that threatens the stability of critical waterways.
The commercial vessel, which was sailing from Somalia, came under attack on Wednesday, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
All 14 crew members were rescued by Omani authorities, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike, it said.
"The UAE strongly condemns terrorist attack on Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman," the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement issued on Thursday. "This attack constitutes a grave threat to the security of international navigation and represents a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the stability of critical waterways."
The incident took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
The MoFA further said that the attack on the India-flagged vessel on Wednesday was a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms the importance of freedom of navigation and rejects the targeting of commercial vessels or the obstruction of international maritime routes.
It emphasised that "targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represent acts of piracy and constitute a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security".
The UAE expressed solidarity with India and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding the security and safety of its vessels and interests, the statement said.
Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.
