Finally waking up to the threat posed to India’s rich biodiversity from bio-terrorism and the inflow of dangerous pests from outside, the Centre is drafting the Biodiversity Bill, on the lines of similar legislation in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. This bill will seek to establish an authority replacing the existing plantation protection advisers.
Agriculture secretary P.K. Basu told this newspaper that the law ministry had cleared the draft bill, which is likely to be taken up by the Cabinet for consideration soon. “The new law will ensure streamlining of plantation quarantine issues. Issues like pesto-diseases and threats of bio-terrorism and disaster, either manmade or natural, would be addressed by the legislation,” Mr Basu said.
While the bill will put in place an authority to monitor all aspects of biodiversity, the Centre wants to address several issues, including combating transfer of diseases from animals to humans and from humans to animals. The authority will be empowered to take decisions on all matters to ensure there is a prompt response in any crisis.