Global warming, environmental pollution are twin challenges in the world: ICAR-IIHR chief

Professor Tusar Kanti Behera addresses global warming, pollution, and food grain production challenges at Thiruvalluvar University's 19th Annual Convocation.

Global warming and environmental pollution remain twin challenges in the world today, said Professor Tusar Kanti Behera, director, Institute of ICAR - Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, while speaking at the 19th Annual Convocation of Thiruvalluvar University here on Sunday.

India has been largest user of groundwater despite having only 4% of world’s water supply but has to feed 17.8% of world’s population, he added.

Delivering his convocation address, Mr. Behera said owing to global warming there would be a steady increase in the frequency, severity and duration of droughts and floods. Rising population and industrialization had been reducing ground water worldwide. “Microplastics are increasingly found in food, water and in humans, making it a global hazard. India is the second most polluted country after Bangladesh in Asia,” he said.

Mr. Behera said that along with global warming and environment pollution, the country also faced another challenge -- decrease in food grain production. In other words, India recorded a growth rate of 4.7% in the agriculture sector during 2022-23 as against a growth rate of only 1.4% in 2023-24. “Decline in food grain production is mainly due to fragmented land holdings, low farm investment, lack of farm mechanisation and insufficient access to quality inputs. In fact, around 80% of total farmers in the country are small farmers, who cultivate in less than one hectare of farmland,” he said.

The ICAR-IIHR director advocated farmers to pursue allied farm activities like livestock and fisheries to supplement their income from agriculture as these sectors have performed better than traditional crops. For example, the share of livestock in agriculture gross value added (GVA) increased from 24.3% to 30.4 % between 2014-15 and 2022-23. Likewise, the share of fisheries increased from 4.4% to 7.3% during the same period, he said.

T. Arumugam, Vice-Chancellor, Thiruvalluvar University, who tabled the annual report of the university, said a total of 28,417 students had been conferred degrees at the convocation including 155 students in person and 28,262 students in absentia. Among them, 86 Ph.D researchers, 36 undergraduate and 33 post-graduate rank holders were also honoured with medals.

Governor R.N. Ravi, who is also the Chancellor of Thiruvalluvar University, presided over the event in the presence of Minister for Higher Education Govi Chezhiaan, who is pro-chancellor, Registrar J. Senthil Velmurugan and Controller of Examinations, R. Babu Janarthanam.