A feather in RGU cap
Murko mussing
The local typically calls it murko, but Willim Henry Davies in his poem: When I had money, money, O! – has exemplified its value:
I knew no joy till I went poor;
For many a false man as a friend
Came knocking all day at my door.
……………………………
When I had money, money, O!
My many friends proved all untrue;
But now I have no money, O!
My friends are real, though very few.
By Pradeep Kumar
RONO HILLS | Apr 28 | Arunachal Pradesh will be fourth of the eight states of NE India, after Assam, Manipur and Sikkim, to offer BSc (Geology) course to justify its status – one of the 12 hot biodiversity hotspots of the world.
Rajiv Gandhi University, one of the three centres of higher learning, will institute geology department to offer two-year BSc course, said geography department dean Dr Nishamani Kar. North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology and National Institute of Technology are other two central institute.
However, Vice Chancellor Prof Tamo Mibang, an expert on tribal affairs, deserves appreciation for his initiative to ink the record.
In fact, the contributions of Dr O M Vera, first Indian Phd from Royal Geological Society, cannot be undermined, Dr Kar told this daily today.
With vast natural untapped resources hidden in its womb, the department would serve as a boon in assisting the state Govt’s committed vow to covert these resources to revenue earner to enrich its coffer.
North-East, a treasure trove of natural resources, particularly Arunachal Pradesh with its massive hydropower potential, rich petroleum and coal deposits, boast of huge potentials to take India’s GDP growth to a newer height.
Former OlL director Chudamnai Ratnam has gone on record saying Arunachal has petroleum reserve that could meet the country’s requirement for the next 100 years. The union petroleum minister had accepted the statistics and announced a high power central team to explore the possibility. Though nothing much has materialized so far, but a proper survey is need of t the hour to woo national and global investors.
Most significantly, with 6.65% of country’s forest area, has made this hilly state the richest bio-diversity of the world of the total 12 hot spots. These natural resources are being mindlessly burnt, reducing the state’s pride to ashes while contributing to global warming.
Major ‘carbon sink’ : Thus, in DDK’s 6th Arunachal Ki Awaaj, themed ‘Creativity in conservation’ on 15.5.12, anchored by me, State Forest Research Institute director P Subramanyam had told that with over 50,000 sqkm of moderate to very dense forests, equivalent to 550 million cubic metre growing stock or living assets (equivalent to 2000 million metric tons of carbon dioxide), serves as one of the major ‘carbon sinks’ or ‘lungs’ of the globe.
Carbon as “a blanket of the earth to allow life to sustain,” Subramanyam, then member-secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Biodiversity Board, had said, urging to shoulder the responsibility as life giver.
“Every human action – from the use of fossil fuel to setting up industries – is affecting the ecosystem. We want development for a comfortable life, but for what gain – short term or long term? The maintaining of the human pyramid along with development is called human chain development,” he informed.
Considering the destructive effects of human activities, the concept of ‘development and environment’ has changed to ‘green development’ to strike a golden mean between development and conservation, while adopting new methods of lifestyle in tune with the inevitable impacts of climate change, PCCF BS Sajwan, present National Green Board member, had said, adding Arunachal is first in NE to evolve state action plan on climate change.
That is why Army had taken 3,000 saplings from APBB to seal Indo-Bangaldesh border, its SFRI scientist Dr G Murtem had disclosed.
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