GUWAHATI, April 6? Noted USA-based bio-technologist Dr C S Prakash today stated that economic development of the region was a must for preservation of bio-diversity hotspots in North East India. The professor from Tuskegee University of the USA who is on a visit to the State under the aegis of United States Information Services (USIS), said bio-diversity preservation was directly related to economic development as it was observed that in economically underdeveloped areas human beings became extremely dependent on forest resources for their livelihood, leading to wanton destruction of forest cover. He said application of modern bio-technology in agriculture and horticulture sector was essential for preventing spread of human activities to forest areas. ?We have to produce more on the existing agriculture land with the aid of modern farming technology to protect bio-diversity hotspots,? Dr Prakash said.
He raised alarm that about 190 million hectare of forest land in developing countries all over the world had been converted to agriculture land. On the other hand 20,000 hectares of agriculture land in the United States had been coverted to forest land in recent times through extensive use of modern technology in the farming sector. He said agri-based countries like India could no longer afford to ignore developments in the biological science sector and called for rapid transfer of technologies from the laboratory to the field.
Dr Prakash was of the view that North East India was bestowed with unique orchid varieties which have a very flourishing international market in South East and East Asia. Therefore, he said, the region should try to capitalise on the potential in the wake of opening up of the international air route to the region. The USA based scientist who is travelling to Tea Research Station and Rain Forest Research Institute in Jorhat, said that developments in the molecular biological research sector could revolutionise tea and Assam which is a global player in the tea market, could benefit from it in a great way. There are interesting possibilities in tea regarding enhancement and introduction of new flavours.