BY –  Astitva Singh

Chipko Movement of 1973 inspired the whole world to showcase the power of conservation.  Started from Garhwal district of Uttarakhand,  Chipko Andolan transcended time and till date is considered as one of the most prominent movement. The reason behind the whole movement was the indiscriminate cutting down of trees. We humans from time immemorial are exploiting natural resources at a great speed. British colonized India and vanished hectares of land for building houses in North India; Americans are slashing Amazon rainforest- also called Earth’s Lungs , for the cultivation of Soya beans; Saudi Arabia is using crypto-farming techniques by exploiting ground water to cultivate Date fruit; Europe is eradicating forest to hold vineyards. We human beings are taking nature for granted.  Global warming,  increased green house effect, melting of solar ice caps, increasing sea level thus submerging low lying areas; the effect is hazardous coming along with traumatic natural calamities.

 

The recent Chamoli glacier melt in Uttarakhand was an outcome of increased Global warming. Scientists have declared the rate of global warming is rapid with carbon dioxide (CO2) being the prominent one. One cannot undermine the tragic incident of  Bhopal Gas Disaster.  Claiming hundreds of life,  a man made disaster turned violent to humans as well as Biotic civilization.  As per study of various meteorologist and geographer,  man made disaster is increasing as rapid urbanization is increasing. Cutting down of trees in hilly areas and plateau regions are increasing landslides incidents and decreasing pastoral lands. Deforestation due to construction of Dams have increased flooding cases particularly in Bihar and West Bengal.  Whenever a dam is built along with a reservoir,  water stored inside it increases and cross emergent line due to raining. The government is left with two options, either let go the water of Dams which will surpass the embankment of rivers(high pressure)and causes flooding. Or hold the water in the reservoirs only which increases the chances of Wall breaking and that too will led to flooding.  In both the cases, flooding is the final outcome.  That’s why we  hear so many cases of Dams related flooding and with due time the cases have increased.  Trees provide as a mechanical barrier to out flowing rivers which helps in flooding reduction or not so severe flood arrives. But Dam construction results in trees uprooting.  Human heinous activities are turning into a liability to environment.  We are not only disturbing food web but also making endemic species vulnerable to extinction.  With the urgent call, sustainable approach has to be implemented or else we will drive mass extinction.  As it is rightly said, we haven’t inherited the Earth from our forefathers, we’ve borrowed it from our children’s .