As we celebrate Earth Day today with various activities and events, it sets me thinking whether all this is actually making any difference? I feel humans are opportunistic and convenience-seeking creatures. These two factors rule every action & decision undertaken by us humans, in general. For an average person, environment, pollution, water shortage, shrinking arctic glacier, etc makes little sense. Man is not bothered about any of these issues unless he suffers directly. It’s all alien to him. An issue bothering me is the cutting of trees in the Aravali hills in Jaipur and elsewhere in Rajasthan. At one point in time, there was much dense tree cover. The Aravali hill range in and around Jaipur has predominantly Dhok trees also called Anogeissus Pendula Tree. It is a hardy tree and requires little care because it grows in monsoon forests.
Illegal cutting of trees is quite rampant in forest areas. As per the law, cutting trees in forest land is a punishable offense. There are no forest officials to check this activity, so the activity continues unhindered. The forest department must be aware but action on the ground is missing. Forest dept. Is not to be blamed solely, they do have their own issues and limitations i.e. shortage of staff, etc.
The modus operandi used in this process is fairly simple. A male ventures into the forest with an axe to cuts off the branches and trees. The wood is not picked up immediately rather it’s allowed to dry off for a few days in the forest itself.
Later on, a woman visits the forest to collect this dry wood. If someone objects they pass it off by claiming they are merely collecting dry wood for use in wood-fired stoves. This activity is rampant in the hills surrounded by villages.
There is a need to educate people in the villages about the repercussion of such an action. Greater participation of the public is required where the forest area is considered to be a public asset and anyone causing any damage to it should be socially outcast-ed. Actions like these bring in far better results rather than imposing fines.
At our level, let’s plant more trees and respect nature!
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Planet Earth suffers from lung cancer. The only cure is what your wonderful post is all about: Save our forests and plant more trees. Thank you!
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Peter…I feel consumerism, profiteering and globalization has only seeded up the process of deforestation on mass scale. Everywhere forests cover is reducing! we want more of everything. We need it cheaper. The corporations need to sell more…where is it all leading to? That’s a million dollar question. I guess we too are party to this plundering, in one way or other! Thanks for your input and thoughts. Appreciate it
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True enough … trees provide for a whole ecosystem and encourage rains to come. Gently, on a daily basis. More water? More life and etc. One wonders if the poachers are ever poached? Let them do the cutting then send in the gatherers ahead of the designated?
I’m not really in favour of “Earth Day”. For it tends to let us off the hook. It should be earth decade, or something?
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I agree with you on Earth Day. we need to make things happen on ongoing basis rather than celebrating and creating noise on one day. As someone pointed out, there are other aspects of this story. The wood is needed by poor people who cannot afford LPG/fuels to cook food. But that gives no reason for us to allow deforestation! Thanks for your valuable inputs! appreciate it.. 🙂
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Yes arv, the villagers must be made aware of the repercussions of what they are doing. As a matter of fact even they are doing this out of their needs… Perhaps the authorities will realize when its too late..
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That’s true.. it’s a laborious work which is a result of poverty.Only if they could afford using LPG or electricity…
At the same time, we cannot let things deteriorate! appreciate your comment and visit. 🙂
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Good post !! Earth gave us everything..now its payback time…
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I hope humans realize this fast! Thanks Shrikant for your inputs!
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Yeah before its too late.
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🙂
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I think the villagers need to make use of solar power not lpg. It is free and infinite. Shame that they do not have access to cheap solar power cells
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The government has started the solar project in India. it’s subsidized one. But as far as I know it’s only focused on providing light in rural areas and focus on solar heaters as well as installation of solar panels on roof in urban areas.
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Sounds like a growth industry.
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🙂
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It’s a catch-22 situation, Arv. Unless, the villagers are able to find sustainable and cheap sources of natural energy like solar or wind, they will have to depend on depleting natural resources. My guess is that these villagers have yet to see their first filament light up. Many mainstream companies are diverting their research into this area, but aren’t tackling the problems with the speed that it needs. I have a friend who’s currently pursuing a doctoral programme in energy economics and I had a lengthy discussion on the topic. I’m waiting with bated breath for India’s solar programme to take off. Its very good use to the copious amounts of sun! 🙂
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I agree with you completely on this one. I’m also sure that they are not aware of ecological effects of their actions. Although solar program is being subsidized and funded by government, from what I know it is aimed only at lighting solution and cooking is not yet incorporated.
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Good post, Arv. Unfortunately tree cutting and deforestation in general is a massive problem all around the world. I’d like to see much more being done not just to protect what are left, but also encouraging people to plant more.
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I agree with what you just wrote Mick. The frightening part is that we are depleting faster than planting new ones. I don’t know where globalization and consumerism will lead us all to.
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I dread to think.
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We really have to take care of our one and only planet!!
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That’s true! I hope sanity prevails over humanity…. 🙂
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