ALWAR (RAJASTHAN): Talks of global climate change are no longer confined to scientific studies and research papers as none other than the Zoological Survey of India has expressed concern over the increasing pace of losing species during the last century. Director ZSI, Dr Dhriti Banerjee said that during the past 20 years around one fifth of the species in an earmarked geographical area have vanished. She was answering queries of journalists at a symposium organised by the Centre for science and environment in Alwar on Thursday.
“Though I am not going to use the term extinction, as it involves several official processes, there is no doubt that the level of loss of species in the last 100 years is very evident. When I started my career and had sampled species at a place in Arunanchal Pradesh in 1998; and when I visit the same place today, I find that at least one fifth of the species are missing,” she said.
Banerjee however pointed out that around 900 species have gone extinct since 1500AD and they are part of evolutionary history. “What concerns us most is the rate at which we are losing them and that the trigger is man made and not natural,” she said.
