81st annual session of NASI opened

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nearly 60 per cent of the ecosystem is under the threat of degradation and the country should immediately take steps to conserve it, K Kasturirangan, member of Planning Commission and former chairman of ISRO, said.   He was inaugurating the 81st annual session of the National Academy of Sciences (NASI) and National Symposium on Sustainable Management of Biodiversity using Science and Technology on the Kariavattom campus of Kerala University on Thursday.“We need to protect our forests, numerous variety of medicinal plants, wildlife and the like and should take steps to prevent poaching,” he said. He added that for this, a national action plan was needed. Prof A K Sharma, president of NASI, presided over the function. M G K Menon, advisor, ISRO, Department of Space, was the guest of honour. Menon reiterated the importance of conservation of soil and water. “India is the hotspot of biodiversity and it is our duty to make sure it is not lost,” he said.