Discuss the main features of the national Forest policy of post independence India?
Answers
i) Preservation and restoration of ecological balance. Existing forests will be folly protected and their productivity will be improved. Forest cover on hill slopes and catchment areas of rivers Will be
increased.
(ii) A network of Wildlife and bird Sanctuaries, National Parks, biosphere reserves and other protected areas will be extended and better managed.
(iii) Soil erosion and denudation of catchment areas of water bodies will be checked.
(iv) The people will be actively involved in programmes of protection, conservation and management
of the forests. The basic requirements of the rural and tribal people for forest products will be maintained.
(v) Increasing forest areas by afforestation and social forestry.
● Preservation of Wildlife : the forest policies formulated after the independence period have laid a special emphasis on the protection and preservation of wildlife and especially the animals which comes under the the rare species and which need to be protected and saved from being extinct like the tigers and one horned rhinoceros.
● Checking over the Grazing : various policies have been formulated in the post independence period and each and every policy have laid emphasis on checking over the grazing activities that take place in the forest area. Overgrazing of forest is a major concern which leads to soil erosion and various other problems which needs to be kept in check.
● Deforestation : the major concern of the modern era is deforestation or destroying of forest which has been included in the forest policies especially after the process of industrialisation has developed and grown in our country. Also the practice of shifting cultivation for shifting agriculture has been another headache for the Government of India because it really affects the forest land.