Save the Forests
In the last few decades we have seen a rapid decline in the forest cover of our land. Little has been done to protect this green cover which supports our life system, from being destroyed mercilessly. There are several factors which are responsible for the destruction of our forest, like timber smuggling on a large scale, fire in forest, clearing forest lands in the name of settling industries, making farmlands and the so-called tribal development, etc. So, the felling of the trees in the already scarce forests continues unabated even today under one pretext or the other.
The new trend that has emerged before us in the name of eco-tourism is equally responsible for deforestation. Forests are cut to make way for building forest huts for adventurous and nature-loving tourists. Further, an argument is being put forth for doing so that this sort of tourism will provide employment to the local people, especially the tribals. This is sheer propaganda, as these enterprises end up employing trained staff from urban areas. Illiterate and unskilled tribals just cannot man such jobs.
Today we are already living in a polluted world. Environmental degradation has reached an alarming proportion. It is imperative for mankind to understand the worth of the forests before they get choked to silent death in this world which is very fast turning into a gas chamber.
The forests are inexhaustible resources from nature. They provide us with conservation of soil, trees, etc along with our life system. The oxygen taken by us is given out by trees and the water we drink is dependent on trees and plants. Along with beautification of places, trees in forests provide shade and timber and keep a check on soil erosion, avoiding natural disasters like floods.
Being the symbol of purity and means to alleviate suffering, varieties of trees and plants have always been in use to heal different kinds of ailments. Vegetal cover acts as a pollution scavenger as it absorbs gases and gathers particulate matter through leaves having large surface areas. The green portions of the trees and plants are capable to filter dust, smoke and other pollutants in the air. Trees also reduce noise pollution and thermal pollution by checking on the heat built up in the atmosphere.
As the forest cover has already shrunk to a dangerous level we not only need to check deforestation at any cost but also to ensure plantation of trees on a massive scale. When forests or minor forest produce are cut from an area, afforesting of these varieties of flora in it needs to be taken up simultaneously. If we keep on giving back to forests what we have taken from them, then only can we check the shrinking cover of forests. Also, smuggling of timber should be dealt with seriously.
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