Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday the country's economic growth should not be at the cost of the environment.

"Economic growth is essential for the people, but we cannot allow growth to be pursued in a manner which damages our environment," the prime minister tweeted, just hours ahead of a meeting with environment ministers of BASICS countries.

Environment ministers of Brazil, South Africa, India, Russia and China are to meet the Indian Prime Minister later in the day.

Sources said that the meeting will look at ways to evolve a common and concerted strategy on the proposed new global climate change regime.