Minister for Energy, Forests, and Mines Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy said that the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government was committed to environmental protection, for which programmes were being undertaken to promote biodiversity and its importance to mankind’s survival under the auspices of the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Council.
Speaking as chief guest at a State-level programme on International Biodiversity Day-2023 at SV Veterinary Auditorium in Tirupati on Monday, the Minister said that according to the Biodiversity Act- 2002 and the orders issued by the National Green Tribunal, the State Biodiversity Council of Andhra Pradesh was established in 2006 and the Public Biodiversity Register was prepared at the State, district council and panchayat levels. Videos on various topics related to biodiversity were brought out. He said that through publications, posters, knowledge material, books, and other mediums, biodiversity literature is being disseminated and followed up at the village level through Biodiversity Management Committees.
“Ninety-seven per cent of the food that we eat comes from plants, while 3% comes from animals. The Forest Department is at the forefront in raising nurseries and distributing saplings for wider plantation drives. Emphasis is laid on door-to-door distribution of medicinal plants in the State through 13,000 self-help groups, biodiversity parks, biodiversity museums, and biodiversity heritage sites,” he said.
“We must implement all the parameters to promote biodiversity as per the 2030 agreement. We should work together to achieve a safe and sustainable biodiversity by 2050,” he said.
Officials from the Biodiversity Board, Vijayawada; Yogi Vemana University, Departments of Fisheries and Forests, National Green Tribunal, Geological Survey of India, Botanical Survey of India, Department of Agriculture and allied wings were present.
