Van Mahotsav celebration and population

N Munal Meitei *

CM Ibobi planting a tree sapling at 66th Vanma-hotsava 2015 at Maharaj Gambhir Singh Memorial Complex, Lang-thabal on July 04 2015 :: Pix - DIPR

Today is the last day of Van Mahotsav celebration which starts from 1st to 7th of July every year. In India, Van Mahotsav was started as a crusade with mighty ambitious aims for saving mother earth. But, unfortunately the festival has become more ceremonial and ritualistic. No care is seems to be taken for the planted trees after the festival is over. This is the point where we are to look into.

Van Mahotsav or the festival of trees was started by Dr. K.M. Munshi during 1950 to create enthusiasm among masses for forest conservation and planting of trees. Technically also, celebration of this festival in July has the beneficial due to onset of monsoon and the active nature of cambium in warm weather. It is not the celebration of planting trees but it is the festival of life, peace and hope. As part of the celebrations, millions of saplings are planted by people from all over the country and peoples are encouraged to plant trees than to cut them. The need of the hour for the country is the greenery. Thus, the preservation of nature has become an integral part of our life due to the present day numerous environmental challenges.

In its original aim, every citizen of India is expected to plant a sapling in the Van Mahotsav week. Also, awareness campaigns amongst people about the benefits and harmfulness of trees. It needs to be understood that trees are the best effective way to prevent global warming and reduce pollution. While planting the trees, we must go with indigenous native trees as they readily adapt to local climate, integrate into eco-system and have a high survival rate. Besides, such trees are helpful in supporting the whole of the biodiversity including our local birds, insects and animals. Once, the noted activist Amrita Devi Bishnoi said, "If a tree is saved even at cost of one's head, it's worth it."

During Van Mahotsav, for tree plantation, State Forest Department supply free saplings to schools, colleges and academic institutions, NGOs and welfare associations. With the celebration of Van Mahotsav, the country has gained immense national importance as millions of saplings are planted every year and thus our aim to achieve 33% forest cover has become nearer.

Humans with their greedy needs have cut down a large part of the forest cover at the rate about 4 billion trees per year globally. In the name of urbanization and globalization, trees are considered as the major stumbling block. For construction of flyovers, roads, railway tracks, hoardings and pavements, the easiest solution is to get rid of trees altogether. This declining number of trees has brought a major change in climate too. So there is a dire necessity of Van Mahotsav festival to restore the forest cover with plantation on non forest area in the country.

The planting of trees during the festival serves various purposes like providing alternative fuel, increase production of food resources, creates shelter for Biodiversity, creates wind- belts around fields to increase productivity, provide food for cattle, offers shade and decorative landscapes, helps conserves soil deterioration, etc. The festival educates the awareness of trees among masses and portrays the need of planting and tending of trees, as trees are the easiest and best ways to solve the global warming and reduce pollution.

Manipur has now becoming vulnerable to floods, droughts, heat waves, cyclones, and other natural disasters and this trend is increasing with each day. With continuous human intervention against nature, these disasters can no longer be considered 'Natural.' An immediate similar hilly example is the colossal event of Uttarakhand, which claimed the life of thousands of tourists and left many stranded. So now, Van Mahotsav festival has becomes a vital and beautiful initiative to save our environment, to which we owe a lot.

While we talk of conserving the nature, the most important factor that comes to mind is the population explosion. The famous Heidelberg Declaration signed by 425 prominent scientists, including 52 Nobel prize laureates at the end of the conference in Rio called overpopulation a 'plague' comparable to 'hunger and pandemics'.

India, one of the oldest civilizations in the world has remarkably diverse demographics. India is the second largest populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people as per the provisional census report published on 31-3-2011 which is more than a sixth of the world's population. The country is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing China. Now, India's population has touched the combined population of the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan. Thus India supports 19.2% of the world population along with 21% global cattle though we have only 2.8% of the global geographical area.

This is expected that, by 2030, India's dependency ratio should be just over 0.4. Further complexity is lent by the great variation that occurs across this population on social parameters such as income and education. Since the country is in monsoon type of climate, most of our agricultural crops which have the highest impact on our economy depend on the good climatic condition. A little change in the climatic condition may affect up to 5% of our GDP.

The scientific consensus on population explosion and accompanying increase in usage of earth's resources is linked to threats to our ecosystem and environment. The WWF and Global Footprint Network have stated that the carrying capacity for the human population has been exceeded many times as measured using the Ecological Footprint. WWF's "Living Planet Report" stated that in order for all humans to live with the current consumption patterns of developed countries, we would be spending our natural resources three times more than what the planet can replenish. Humanity as a whole is using 40 percent more than what the earth can regenerate. Thus mankind would require two Planets by 2030 and three Planets by 2050 if we do not change with our present day habits. A large expansion of agriculture to provide for the growing populations with improved diets is likely to lead to further deforestation, loss of species, soil erosion, and pollution from pesticides and fertilizer runoff as farming intensifies and new land is brought into production.

Therefore, while assessing all these parameters, the country needs to curve the population explosion. The observation of World population day on 11th July every year has also reminds us the urgency to curve the population as the human is diminishing the natural resources many times higher. Therefore for sake of the mother Earth, we much take part in Van Mahotsav celebration with meaningful a plantation along with all of our family members keeping in mind that the planted trees are our own children right from this moment for a better and green Manipur tomorrow.