Conserve ecology, save rivers: H R Bhardwaj

BANGALORE: Karnataka is the only state with unpolluted rivers and forests, said Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj at a function here on Wednesday.At the inaugural function of the International Conference on Adaptive Management of Ecosystems, Bhardwaj said: “There are a lot of changes happening in the Himalayas. The glaciers have melted and the soil has eroded. Major rivers including Ganga and Yamuna are polluted due to indiscriminate dumping of waste and discharge of effluents into the rivers. Whereas, Karnataka is the only state where rivers Cauvery and Tungabhadra are unpolluted.”He asked experts to research on reviving rivers and glaciers in the Himalayas and restoring the ecology of the region. He gave the example of restoration of polluted valleys and rivers in Germany as an example.Highlighting various initiatives by the state government to mitigate pollution in the state, Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said, “The pollution norms and standards are frequently modified according to the requirement and the pollution monitoring agency in the State, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, has been issuing closure notices wherever the standards are violated. Efforts are being made to reduce the greenhouse gases by educating the people. The state government is committed to the cause of preserving the ecology in the state by preventing pollution.”