conservation of forest essay
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Floods, population problems and other environmental hazards have been increasing. The environmental hazards in this country have not reached the stage prevailing in several highly industrialized countries. We are, however heading to it. Lack of adequate vegetate cover in the catchments or watersheds of our rivers and streams, exploitation of our hill forests indiscriminately to meet the ever-increasing needs of population, the indiscriminate lopping, grazing and fires have resulted in a great loss to the country in the form of soil erosion, floods, and damage to the regeneration.
Since independence the country has lost over four lakh hectares of forests – a precious and renewable source of energy – due to indiscriminate release of land for agriculture (when one knows that what is needed is a more intensive cultivation and not extensive one), submersion due to irrigation and power projects, clearance for high tension lines, for rehabilitation of expropriated and other categories of people, development of colonies, command areas, etc. with adequate safeguards against environmental hazards.
Only recently the National Committee on Environmental Planning and Co-ordination was constituted to have a look into the several projects from an ecological angle sent by States to the Planning Commission for clearance.
It is needless to indicate here the manifold advantages of vegetation in ameliorating the climatic conditions, maintenance of stream flow, conserving the soil and general maintenance of the eco-system including flora and fauna. Forest soils well stocked with deep-rooted trees have a storage capacity varying from 50,000 to 2,00,000 cusecs of water per square kilometer
The structure of a forest has a bearing on its influence on noise effect. The denser the under storey and the ground vegetation and the more pronounced the vertical closure of the forest stand, the higher is its sound-absorbing capacity. A park 50 m wide can reduce the traffic noise by 20 to 30 decibels. Forests thus provide indirect protection against noise. A hectare of a forest of broad-leafed trees would collect at least 30 to 50 tons of dust, besides the usefulness of forests from the recreational aspect and in conserving wild life.