Industries must balance growth with environmental sustainability: Khandre

Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B. Khandre on Wednesday called upon industries in the state to ensure environmental sustainability alongside economic growth, stressing that development without ecological responsibility would have serious long-term consequences.

Speaking at a workshop on environmental sustainability organised by Forward Karnataka in the city, the minister said conservation of nature was possible only through judicious use of natural resources, reuse and recycling. “Economic progress should not come at the cost of the environment. Sustainability must be an integral part of industrial growth,” he said.

Emphasising that good environmental policies alone were not enough, Khandre said effective implementation was equally critical. Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, he recalled that thousands had lost their lives due to a shortage of oxygen. “Trees provide us oxygen free of cost. It is our responsibility to protect existing trees and actively participate in plantation drives,” he said, urging collective action for tree conservation and afforestation.

Third major biodiversity park planned

Highlighting the challenges posed by global warming and climate change, the minister said greening initiatives were the most effective solution to protect the environment. He announced that the state Cabinet had approved the creation of the third-largest biodiversity park — the World Guru Basavanna Biodiversity Park — spread over 153 acres in Bengaluru, where Nilgiri trees had earlier been planted. “This is a dream project, and we are committed to inaugurating it within the next two years,” he said.

Khandre reiterated the government’s commitment to environmental protection, noting that Karnataka currently has a green cover of about 21 per cent. “Our goal is to increase this to 33 per cent. However, due to the shortage of forest land, we are prioritising plantation along roadsides and other available spaces,” he explained.

Warning of the consequences of environmental neglect, the minister said failure to protect nature could lead to disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, cloudbursts, heatwaves, unseasonal rains, floods and droughts. “We are already witnessing situations where a week’s rainfall occurs in a single day, causing crop loss, loss of life, damage to livestock and houses. The only solution lies in tree growth, conservation and environmental protection,” he said.

He also cautioned against untreated sewage, domestic waste and industrial effluents entering water bodies. Stressing responsible waste management, Khandre urged citizens to avoid littering single-use plastics and e-waste. “We have only one Earth. Protecting it and handing it over safely to future generations is a shared responsibility,” he added.

The workshop was attended by Uday Shankar Singh, CEO of the World Youth Centre, New Delhi; Dr Mahesh, Joint Commissioner of the Department of Animal Husbandry; P. Subramani; lecturer Maheshchandra Guru; and several other experts and participants.