NE intellectuals on heat wave, water crisis in the region
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Dimapur, April 30 2014:
With heat wave sweeping the North East India region and the acute drinking water crisis hitting places like Imphal, Dimapur, Kohima, Aizawl even as bush fire raging most forested areas, some activists and intellectuals have blamed the faulty policies of the Government for all these problems, which they said are results of degrading the environment.
When contacted by NNN over phone, noted Assam's peasant leader Akhil Gogoi of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) heaped blames on the Government for the grim ecological situation.
But due to poor telephone network the conversation with Akhil Gogoi could not be recorded pin-pointedly.
Guwahati based award winning senior journalist of The Indian Express Samudragupta Kashyap suggested that the government should efficiently and effectively follow certain Supreme Court directives on environmental issues.
"In December, 1996, the Supreme Court has banned felling of trees but today no one abides it," said Samudragupta Kashyap.
He said that the government should see the Supreme Court stand is not violated by the people.
Kashyap also said the public should follow the general rule that for every tree felled ten saplings should be planted and looked after them till they get matured.
Samudragupta Kashyap pointed out that thousands of trees have been felled while cutting new highways and roads.
"In such cases, saplings should be planted as an act of replacing the felled trees," stated Kashyap.
He then ridiculed the NGOs of keeping quiet when thousands of trees are felled while constructing highways and roads.
Noted intellectual from Nagaland Niketu Iralu is of the opinion that unless the people realise that their activities such as exploiting the environment means more creating problem the people are bound to experience more hardship.
Iralu said burning of forest should be stopped at once by the people.
"Our needs are increasing but the resources in this planet are limited," he observed.
Noted rights activist from Manipur Babloo Loitangbam said awareness among the people or educating the people why they are facing such a situation today is very important.
El Hmar, a journalist based in Silchar has this to say, "Excessive exploitation of our environment should be checked if we are to avoid an environment disaster." According to him, the rising heat wave, acute shortage of drinking water and pollution prevailing today are just the beginning.