SEBC and The Himalaya Drug Company pledge for a greener environment this International Day for Biological Diversity
Celebrating 25 years of International Day for Biological Diversity,the Society for Environment and Biodiversity Conservation (SEBC), an NGO committed to protecting and conserving biodiversity,and The Himalaya Drug Company, India’s leading wellness company, organized a day-long program in the city today to emphasize environment conservation and the importance of biodiversity.
Themed as ‘Save Biodiversity – Rich Western Ghats’, the event witnessed participation from over 400 people comprising leading environmentalists, forest department officials, educationists, college students and nature lovers from the city. It commenced with an early morning ‘Heritage tree walk’ followed by the inauguration of a photo exhibition on Western Ghats, medicinal plants, and wild edible fruits. The event was inaugurated by Mr. Ganesh Sonune, Assistant Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation, and Mr. RamakantBorhade, Conservator of Forest, Research Wing, Forest Department, Maharashtra, amongst other dignitaries.
With an objective of creatingawareness about the role of biodiversity in nature and the importance of safer and greener environment, SEBC and The Himalaya Drug Company curated this platform two years ago. Relevant stakeholders from multiple streams were brought together todrive discussions for innovative solutions anddeliberating environmentconcerns such as deforestation and its impact on nature. “Western Ghats is one of the treasure houses of biodiversity in India and the plants there have been a source of medicine for years. Over 4,500 plants are reported to be used in traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy. With the current rate of deforestation, India is losing about 1.5 million hectares of forest cover each year,”said Dr. Babu, Head of Phytochemistry, The Himalaya Drug Company.
The International Day forBiological Diversity, as proclaimed by United Nations, aims at enhancing the understanding and awareness on biodiversity issues. This year marks the completion of 25 years of progress and achievements made towards its goals nationally and globally. “India is the 11th ‘Mega-biodiversity Hottest Hotspot’ in the world considering the biological diversity found in Northeastern India, Western Ghats, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Our biological diversity today is affected drastically due to the changes in natural cycles owing to increasing human settlement. Today, the world is facing a dire needto protect endangered and rare plant species along with their habitats to maintain balance in nature,”said Dr.Shrinath P. Kavade, Vice President, SEBC.
Committed to ‘Caringfor theEarth’, The Himalaya Drug Company has been working towards conserving nature for over a decade now. One of the prime flagship initiatives undertaken by the organization is afforestation in the Western Ghats, wherein along with local communities, Himalaya and SEBC together have planted 6,00,000 trees. They have also provided communities with food and fodder for cattle, while revitalizing soil health and thus offsetting 50 pounds of carbon dioxide annually per tree. “Our plant biotechnology research group works on developing tissue culture and plantlets of endangered and rare plants so as to encourage the cultivation of these species in the future and thus avoid complete depletion. This way we have been trying to strike a balance in nature. Our larger objective is to educate and enable communities to understand the importance of nature, its elements, and conserve it for their own betterment,”
