“Huge difference is there between development and progress. As development gallops, it poses serious threats to the invaluable bio-diversity,” said Karnataka Bio-diversity Council Member Secretary Dr Ramesh C Prajapathi.

He was speaking after inaugurating an awareness programme on “The role of people in issues related to bio-diversity”, jointly organised by the PG Centre in Microbiology of FMC College and the State Bio-diversity Council at the college premises here on Tuesday.

There are more than 5 million bio-diversity in the globe, out of which only 10 per cent have been unearthed through researches. No information has been accumulated about the remaining 90 per cent organisms. The Western Ghats and eastern Himalayas have rare plant and animal species, he noted.

Western Ghats have been recognised as one of the 14 biological hotspots in the world. About 1,600 valuable plant species, 91 kinds of reptiles and 5 different kinds of butterflies have got shelter in Western Ghats, Mr Prajapathi explained.

Bio-diversity Authority has been constituted as per the Bio-diversity Act 2002 of the Central government with a view to preserve the bio-diversity. Committees comprising of 7 members should be constituted in each Gram Panchayat limits in this direction, but out of the 6,000 GPs in Karnataka, committees have been set up only in 620 GPs, he noted.

The GP-level committees have the responsibility of documenting the bio-diversity in their area. Such information will be co-operative to conduct research into bio-diversity in the future days. The State government has released Rs 60 lakh in this direction in the present year, he added.

Presiding over the function, Mangalore University Registrar Dr K Sundar Naik emphasised on the identity of India in the global-level in terms of her rich bio-diversity.

FMC College Principal Dr Pushpa Kuttanna, Microbiology department Chairman Dr Jayashankar were present.