It is always a tough choice for anyone when asked to choose between nature conservation and human welfare. Sometimes even people and governments miss certain points when taking a stance on issues involving both of these.
Suppose you are poor and homeless and the government has decided in favour of you announcing to construct and gift a house to you under a welfare scheme. But the issue is you are not the only one to get so. There are lots of other beneficiaries as well. To provide houses to all, residential complexes need to be built which requires a huge chunk of land. It's a great and definitely an appreciable decision by any government. Everybody needs a permanent shelter. Even the poor must be entitled to one. But the issue is where to allot such a huge chunk of land? How to acquire?
If you are one of the beneficiary and if you are asked that the land acquired to provide houses to all beneficiaries is acquired by clearing natural resource - forests, is it okay for you? Forest of not just 4-5 acres, Its more than 150 sqkm. What's your answer? Will you happily accept? Can you live there all your life without any regret? Or Do you like to suggest the government construct houses in already cleared spaces/barren lands a little away from forest/industrial areas?
In my opinion, the second option should be opted. And this option becomes too important if the forest is a mangrove one i.e. it is spread across in a coastal area.
Why so?
There are many benefits -
1. Habitat for endangered species
2. Livelihood for fishermen
3. Protection from cyclones/ typhoons etc.
4. Tourism
5. Environmental Balance
6. Sufficient Oxygen supply for nearby places
7. Protection from moderate level Tsunamis
8. Groundwater holding capacity of soil remains intact which can serve the purpose of water supply for nearby areas/villages/towns
9. Avoids soil erosion
10. To some extent, consumes industrial pollution and protects wildlife and especially Aqualife.
One more danger is that, if any typhoon or tsunami comes, without mangroves, the houses so constructed by clearing forest would be the first to sink leaving a lot of humans dead.
Also mentioned to construct lands away from Industrial complexes as anytime any mishaps like Bhopal gas Tragedy, LG Polymers Styrene gas leaks, etc can happen. There is no guarantee that such things will never happen.
Above all, we are not the only species on this earth. We do not have the right to snatch away the habitat of other species. Forests are not uninhabited zones. There are habitats for several species of wildlife. And humans together with wildlife only can balance this ecology. If Forests are destroyed, Wildlife will be extinct one day. If so Ecology disturbed. It will have a permanent negative effect not immediately on this generation but on all next generations. Already with the present level of exploitation of natural resources, the climate has changed a lot making human lives hard to some extent. What happened has happened. At least let us not repeat the mistakes that our elders have done. Let's learn and grow all together with nature. It's our responsibility to conserve the remains of nature. Also shall try to plan for afforestation to regain the green belt and avoid negative consequences in the future. If government need to clear certain portion of a forest for any unavoidable cause, first it needs to grow forest in some other barren, non-inhabited place for maintaining overall balance. Once the new forest is ready (at least the age of the new forest should be more than 5-6 years), then the present one can be cleared. Still, this is not a good option but just a compensatory step.
Here is a link for petitions started by Kakinadaites in Change.org to aware people and governments of Andhra Pradesh to stop the destruction of MADA forest, the only mangrove forest in the zone. Appreciating the AP government for deciding to provide houses to the poor, but requesting to provide land for construction of houses in some uninhabited barren lands or some unused government lands in blocks in different places instead of destroying the existing green belt. With huge changes and developments in the engineering field especially the construction field, proper engineering services may be opted in the process.
No comments:
Post a Comment