Former Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said the practice of speaking for the environment after a disaster strikes should change for the better.
Speaking on ‘Flood and Impact’ at the third edition of the Krithi International Book Fair and Knowledge Festival which is under way at Marine Drive here, he said those who opposed the Madhav Gadgil report, which laid stress on the protection of the Western Ghats, had to change their stand post-2018 floods. “Madhav Gadgil was a key player in protecting Silent Valley,” he noted.
Western Ghats
Mr. Ramesh said the destruction caused to the Western Ghats from Gujarat to Kerala had seriously impacted the environment. Environmentalist Sumaira Abdulali was among those who participated in the discussion.
Meanwhile, Krithi crossed a milestone on the day with books worth ₹82 lakh sold to schoolchildren in seven days of the event under the scheme ‘One book for one student’.
Students from 110 schools in Idukki, Kottayam, Thrissur, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam visited Krithi on Wednesday.