Resist greed-oriented development to establish a connection with nature, Goa-based environmentalist Claude Alvares, urged the youngsters.
Delivering a keynote speech on the state of the Western Ghats at an event in St Joseph’s (Autonomous) college here, Alvares said besides the political and bureaucratic establishments, the present generation has failed to safeguard the interests of the people who will inherit the land.
“The Western Ghats provides the largest subsidy to society by bringing seasonal reasons. The recent landslides in Kerala and Kodagu are the direct result of the decades of destruction. But unfortunately, our leaders refuse to acknowledge the climate emergency and come up with more proposals to build unnecessary infrastructure in the fragile areas,” he said.
Describing the biodiversity of flora and fauna in the ghats, the environmentalist said the ecosystem of 65 rivers originating in the region was severely damaged due to development projects.