CFTRI Scientist Dr. Alok Kumar Srivastava calls for sustainable agriculture
SURF - 19 International conference in BEADS and BIT, Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Dr. Alok Kumar Srivastava, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Scientist on Friday said that with sustainable crops the soil fertility and nutrition in crops will increase. He was addressing the inaugural session of International Conference on “Sustainable Urban Development, Resource Conservation and Food Security” ‘Surf- 19’ organised by Bearys Institute of Technology (BIT) and Bearys Enviro-Architecture Design School (BEADS) at Bearys Knowledge Campus here in Mangaluru.
The two-day international conference was inaugurated on Friday morning and will conclude on Saturday April 27. The conference also holds the significance of being the first carbon neutral conference.
“India accounts for 18.7% of world population with just 2.7% of total land area of the world. After the independence Green (Agriculture), Blue (fish production) and White (Milk) revolutions in the country has resulted in increase of food production but due to the use of chemicals fertility of the soil is damaged. This is also the reason for various diseases found today. More than 30% of children in our country are suffering from nutritional deficiency ” Dr. Alok Kumar said while calling for sustainable agriculture as a counter.
Bearys Group Chairman Syed Mohammed Beary, in his presidential address added that the greed and pride of humans have led to the destruction of natural resources. “If this continues, the scenario will soon change and in next few years people of metro cities like Bengaluru and others will have to migrate during summer to other places” he said while adding that India was leader in sustainable developing till a century ago. “Some of the examples for this are Taj Mahal and the architecture of temples in Tamil Nadu. We are accountable for the protection of environmental resources” he added.
Renowned Researcher and Professor of IIUM, Malaysia, Dr. S. A Khan, Writer and Environmental Activist from Mumbai Bharat Mansata, Ecological Architect, Harvard University Deepa Vedavyas, Entrepreneur, Sustainable Farming from Madhurai Amarnadh Adusumali, BEADS Principal Ashok LP Mendonca, Director, BIT Polytechnic Dr. Aziz Musthafa, Trustee, Bearys Academy of Learning Mazha S Beary and Surf-19 convener Dr. Mustafa Bastikodi were present on the dias during the inaugural event of the conference.
BIT Principal Dr. P Mahabaleswarappa welcomed the guests and audience.
The two-day conference is scheduled to conclude on Saturday evening with several events, panel discussions and paper presentation ceremonies regarding Sustainable Urban Development, Resource Conservation and Food Security, being part of the conference during the course of two days.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
