Conserve Nature, Save Mankind
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 08 2016 -
Whereas the whole country has been
observing Van Mahotsav or Forest Day
from July 1 to July 7, the State Govern-
ment came up with a fascinating claim
that ëForest Department (of Manipur) is no
longer considered a revenue earning or-
ganisation and more emphasis is given on
conservation and natural resources.
The
other day, the State Governmentís Direc-
torate of Information and Public Relations
(DIPR) reported that forests in hill areas
are under stress due to shifting cultivation
and illegal felling (of trees) and extraction
of other forest produces. Deforestation in
the hill areas has led to soil erosion, land-
slides and siltation of rivers.
By analogy,
rampant deforestation is also responsible
for flash floods, droughts, scarcity of
water, outbreak of diseases and climate
change. To cut it short, the importance of
forests to mankind is simply immense and
the planet Earth is fit for human habitation
only because of trees/forests.
It was man-
kind or more precisely his greed which
exploited forests beyond their regenera-
tive capacity and the whole mankind is
facing drastic climate changes at the glo-
bal level.
The basic idea behind celebrating
Van Mahotsav every year in the first week
of July across the country are conserva-
tion of forests/environment for future
generations and promotion of afforesta-
tion activities at the national level.
It is a
widely accepted view that protecting the
environment constitutes a net expense to
economy. Corresponding to the global cli-
mate change (sic rising temperature),
mankindís concerns for environmental pro-
tection have grown multiple times in the
past decades.
However, despite the much
enhanced knowledge and concerns for en-
vironment and its preservation, all the
human efforts are still not enough to pre-
serve a sustainable environment.
Notwithstanding the numerous global sum-
mits on the fast degrading world
environment and ecology, very little has
been realized in terms of arresting envi-
ronmental pollution and depletion.
It was reported that the (forest) de-
partment was trying to strike a balance
between conservation and fulfilling peo-
pleís need. This is one area which would
be most crucial and demand a strong
political will, technical expertise and sub-
stantial amount of investment not only in
the form of money but also in the form of
knowledge and mass awareness.
It is
everybodyís knowledge that jhum cultiva-
tion is a widespread, traditional practice of
cultivation in hill areas of Manipur but jhum
cultivation always remains an anathema to
environment or forest conservation meas-
ures.
Yet, jhum cultivation is driven by
peopleís need. Now the moot question is,
can the Forest Department strike a bal-
ance between peopleís need for jhum
cultivation and the ever growing need for
conservation of natural forests.
Despite
the devastating effect on environment and
ecology, the State never bothered to
transfer the shifting cultivators to another
source of livelihood or replace it with other
income generating occupations.
The Gov-
ernment needs to devise an effective
regulatory mechanism to control un-
checked quarrying on river beds, hill slopes
and catchment areas although these ac-
tivities have noticeably aggravated cases
of breaching river banks and landslides
during rainy season and also siltation in
Loktak Lake.
It was only with the inter-
vention of the Supreme Court that open
timber trade was restricted (not stopped).
Silence of the Forest Department, when
several pine trees were cut down right in
Langol reserved forest area a few years
back told a very disturbing tale.
What is
happening in the vast unreserved forest
lands in the hills, far away from the eyes
of the state, is anybodyís guess. Whereas
Manipur valley is now facing a flood like
situation, many areas in the interior parts
of the State are experiencing water scar-
city as a result of rampant deforestation.
Even if the Forest Department is no longer
considered a revenue generating organisa-
tion, forests will always remain invaluable
wealth of mankind, and source of life and
livelihood.
But the supportive capacity of
our environment has already been
stretched beyond its limits and the cost is
heavy.
The clarion call
of the hour is, “Conserve
Nature, Save Mankind.”
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