Future Forests — MESMERIZING OR SHATTERING!

So you were bored with a paper and pen in your hand and what do you find yourself doing. The very next minute you are drawing trees on that paper. Isn’t that ironic? India’s paper industries are axing down hundreds of trees and other hundreds will soon meet the same fate. India’s paper industry produces over 2000 metric tonnes yearly from more than 300 mills.Fast growing hybrid eucalyptus trees lend a hand in paper making.Measures to grow more of these trees must be made consequently saving the forest.

As toddlers we remember reciting E for elephant when we learned our alphabets. Shortly that will swap to E for endangered. The Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion, lion tailed macaque and Indian rhino are the few amongst the stretched out list of dying out animals. Hollywood actor Leonardo Dicaprio’s foundation promises 3 million dollars for tiger conservation in Nepal. Doesn’t that make you wonder what the big personalities in India are doing. The chandaka elephant sanctuary in Bhubaneswar is constructing barriers around the forest to secure and shelter the elephants within the province. If all the elephant sanctuaries had taken small steps like this to conserve elephants these gentle giants would have never been on the dying out list.The mouse deer is also known as the Indian Chevrotain is a petite creature with an introvert nature. With the startling drop off of this speckled organism, the forest department is breeding it in the captivity at Nehru Zoological Park.Small acts like this can erase these animals from the endangered lists.

Each of us are silenced when we catch sight of the beauty and grace of the migratory birds. Their blissful configuration across the blue makes us in stand in awe.This year the authorities of Point Calimere sanctuary on Vedaranyam coast took wide-spread measures to shield these winged guests following a steady decline in their number.We are to be blamed for not being good hosts for these visitors.

It is indeed alarming to know that India is the world’s largest consumer of fuelwood. Rural places of India is consuming the most. Astonishingly many rural places of india still does not have electricity. If electricity is made available to these areas then the fuelwood consumption will reduce to half. This is the 21st century with high decibel entertainment and high calorie food yet the rural areas are still in the dark.Feeling a twinge of guilt?

Forest fire prone areas should be kept under continual watch and new technologies to sense and detect the fire in a forest should be developed. The Government is considering setting up of a National Institute of Forest Fire Management with satellite centres in different parts of India to bring the latest forest fire fighting technologies to India. But it is  only being considered . It is not put to action. The word of lip is always there but works of the hand is not seen.

 The next time you forget to apply your sunscreen or to take your umbrella should not be the only time you think about the trees or forests. It should always be on your mind like a mantra. Many of us are not aware of the fact that the word Jungle is adopted into English by seeing the wilderness of India.Let’s leave the world drooping when they see the rich stunning forest of India.Miracles don’t just happen we have to make them happen. So let today be a start.

Author’s Bio;

Anpu Mary Zachariah is a 23 year old dentist who hails from Kerala. She is a nature lover. She sets apart time from her busy schedule to write stories, poems and articles about nature. She can be contacted at dranpuzac@gmail.com.

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