Bhupender Yadav launches ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’

Union Minister highlights role played by wetland ecosystem in securing the ecological, economic & climate security

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday launched the ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ in the presence of Gopa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. This campaign is structured on a “whole of society” approach for wetlands conservation, enabling affirmative actions for wetlands conservation at all levels of the soci- ety and involving all strata of the society.

This campaign over next one year will include sensitizing people of the value of wetlands, increasing the coverage of wetland mitras and building citizen partnerships for wetlands conservation.

Two publications were also released during the occasion, ‘India’s 75 Amrit Dharohar- India’s Ramsar Sites Factbook’ and ‘ Manag- ing Climate Risks in Wetlands — A Practitioner’s Guide. The factbook is a one-stop resource of information on our 75 Ramsar Sites, including their values, threats they face and management arrangements. The practitioner’s Guide on Climate Risk Assessment provides step-wise guidance on assessing the site-level climate risks and integration of adap- tation and mitigation responses into the wetland management plan.

Yadav interacted with wetlands managers of states and heard their experiences about achievements and challenges. In his address, the Union Minister highlighted the critical role played by the wetland ecosystem in securing the ecological, economic and climate security. He also mentioned about various green initiatives taken by the Government in the budget 2023 under the leadership of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi including Amrit Dharohar, MISHTI, PM PRANAM, Green credit and Green Growth aligned with Mission LiFE. Yadav also highlighted the achievements of the country in last about 9 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which country has not only developed economically but also with ecological balance. The Minister also emphasised on the importance of strengthening communication, education, awareness and participation for conservation of the wetlands.

PATENT INFRINGEMENT: FIRM TO PAY `2 CR AS DAMAGES FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed a firm to pay Rs 2 crore as damages to pharma giant Pfizer Inc for committing “wilful” and “contumacious” contempt of court by disobeying its order. The court said if the director of the firm, Triveni Interchem Pvt Ltd, fails to pay the amount in two weeks, he shall be taken into custody and detained in a civil prison for two weeks at Tihar jail here. The court, in an interim order, had restrained the firm from making, selling, distributing, advertising, exporting or importing or dealing with any product having compound ‘Palbociclib’ or any pharmaceutically acceptable salt as it would infringe the patent of plaintiff Pfizer.

CHARGESHEET FILED AGAINST EX-ANDAMAN CHIEF SECY, 3 OTHERS IN GANGRAPE CASE

New Delhi: The special investigation team probing a gangrape case against former Andaman and Nicobar Islands chief secretary Jitendra Narain, has filed a 935-page chargesheet against him and three other accused. The team examined around 90 witnesses and scientific, electronic, technical and biological evidence, which will be crucial in the case. Narain and former labour commissioner Rishi Raj are the prime accused in the gangrape of a 21-year-old woman. The SIT has filed the chargesheet under 10 sections of the Indian Penal Code, including gangrape, criminal conspiracy, criminal defamation among others against four accused, including Narain. The investigation is still on.

JAMIA NAGAR VIOLENCE: 11 DISCHARGED, COURT SAYS BOOKED AS ‘SCAPEGOATS’

New Delhi: A local court on Saturday discharged 11 people, including student activists Sharjeel Imam and Asif Iqbal Tanha, in the Jamia Nagar violence case, saying as the Delhi Police was unable to apprehend the actual perpetrators, it booked the accused as “scapegoats”. The court, however, ordered framing of charges against one accused, Mohd Ilyas. “Marshalling the facts as brought forth from a perusal of the chargesheet and three supplementary chargesheets, this court cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the police were unable to apprehend the actual perpetrators behind the commission of the offence, but surely managed to rope the persons herein as scapegoats,” the court said.