Mangaluru: Besant Evening College and NITK Suratkal in Association with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board are organizing a UGC sponsored Two-day National Level Workshop on “Inclusive green growth, institutional innovations, environmental policy and implications for employment generation with special reference to Dakshina Kannada” on April, 22 and 23, 2016 said Prof of Chemical Engineering NITK Dr Sriniketan in a press meet held at Hotel Srinivas here on April 20.
Addressing the mediapersons Dr Sriniketan said, “This is a very important seminar organized mainly to facilitate information exchange and create awareness among youth about ‘inclusive green growth’. It also aims at creating a community of green economy learning professionals and institutions. The conference will be held in both the institutions. On April 22nd, the venue will be NITK Suratkal and on April 23rd, it would be at Besant Evening College.
The last 20 years of economic growth has created remarkable milestones. It has last 20 years economic growth has lifted millions of people out of poverty and raised their income levels too. But most often this growth has been at the cost of the environment. Moreover, despite the gains from growth, according to a World Bank report, 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity; 2.6 billion have no access to sanitation, and 900 million lack safe, clean drinking water. In other words, growth has not been inclusive enough Dakshina Kannada district, situated on the west coast of Karnataka, has geographically, economically, socially and culturally distinct place in the state. The seaport, the airport, railway network and national highways have helped the growth of industries in the region. As the number of large industries increased in the district their environmental consequences were also felt. Serious conflicts have emerged between the people of the district and the State in identifying development priorities of the district, despite a wide range of administrative mechanisms and democratically elected bodies that exist with the potential of evolving a public rationale through participatory processes of decision making. A most important conflict area has been in including environmental considerations in economic, social and physical development planning processes of the district.
Mangaluru, the district headquarters of Dakshina Kannada is a major port on the West Coast. In the last two years, Mangaluru has seen huge investment from ‘outsiders’. Major names in the Indian as well as global market have shown a keen interest in developing local real estate. The recent rapid, unplanned development, led entirely by market forces has taken precedence over societal norms and economic and social equity witnessing a drastic change in the economic, social and natural environment. The infrastructure plan incorporating services such as Transport, Traffic Management, Electricity, District cooling/heating systems, Sewerage, Drainage, and ICT, etc has proved to be inadequate. Therefore, a unique roadmap and an implementable master-plan, adapted to the city’s unique requirements and culture is the need of the hour.
Aims and Objectives
• Facilitate information exchange, experience- sharing, and coordination for green economy learning;
• Review national approaches to develop a strategic approach to green economy learning;
• Engage learning institutions in integrating green economy concepts within existing courses;
• Create a community of practice of green economy learning professionals and institutions who can make a difference at the local, national and global levels.
Faculty members of Under-graduate and Post-graduate courses and Post-graduate students,professionals,policy makers, government officials,NGOs,industrialists,and members of civic bodies and associations and the civil society.
Principal Besant Evening college and Chairperson of the Seminar Dr Carmelita Goveas said, “This seminar provides a platform to gather a broad range of stakeholders from the local government and civic bodies, NGOs, academic and front-line experts on urban environmental management to discuss current issues and explore opportunities for collaborative action to promote inclusive green growth. It will help create among the college going youth and other members of the community, an awareness of green growth and sustainable development and their role in protecting the environment and creating a greener city, a greener district, a greener India and ultimately contributing their share to a greener planet”.
Senior Scientific officer Jayaprakash Nayak, Rajshekar Puranik and Associate Prof and HOD Commerce Eshwar Poojary were also present.