Animal are ‘jeevan dhan’, life sans them can’t be imagined: President Murmu

Expressing concern over the decreasing visibility of domestic animals in rural areas, she said, “These animals have historically supported agriculture. While we have embraced technology, essential soil partners like earthworms are vanishing, leading to barren land. Restoring soil fertility requires collective efforts from farmers, scientists, veterinarians, and citizens.” She emphasized the need to protect and promote livestock wealth as a national responsibility.

Calling the consumption driven culture a bane, the President said: “Covid-19 pandemic had exposed the harmful impact of a consumption-driven culture on humans, animals and the environment”.

She noted that the decline in vulture populations is partly due to chemical drugs used in veterinary treatments. “Banning such drugs is a commendable step toward vulture conservation,” she said and praised the scientific community for this effort. Murmu highlighted that many species are either extinct or on the verge of extinction and stressed the importance of biodiversity conservation for ecological balance. Institutions like IVRI should lead by example in enhancing biodiversity, she said.