'Protect fragile mountain ecosystem'

Shimla, June 9: Vice President Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said people who live in hilly terrains should have a greater say in the governce of their environment to protect the fragile ecosystem of the mountainous region. Ansari delivered the convocation address at the Himachal Pradesh University here and said the geographic location of the young Himalayan range makes them susceptible to tural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts and soil erosion. He said these hazards are magnified to disasters when they overlap with human habitations and activities such as road building, agriculture, deforestation, mining and dam building. “While all those who live in these fragile ecosystems are vulnerable, the poor, the weaker and weakest segments of society are more vulnerable to any risk from a tural or man-made environmental hazard.” “It is, therefore, only reasoble that the people and communities who are most closely associated with the tural landscape should have the greatest say in governce of their environment,” he said. “The Himalayan landscape is enchanting and recent happenings have reminded us that human excesses extract a cost.” (IANS)