Essay on conservation of Forest
Answers
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 vegetal 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.