“The
best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now”
-Anonymous
India is country which is developing by leaps and bounds,
having seen a vital economic boost in the past few years. Despite all of this, there is an aspect where,
instead of growth, India has experienced a major decline – its environment.
Pollution of air, of water and of soil has been a hindrance in the life style
of Indians and it forms a looming cloud over the fate of the country. In fact,
air pollution is known to form a literal ‘cloud’ over India – the Asian brown
cloud , formed due to the dust and soot particles, looks like a giant brown
stain from space, that covers most of the South Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Statistics show that of the world’s twenty most polluted
cities, thirteen are in India. Also, the Ganga and the Yamuna are among the
world’s ten most polluted rivers. Reports also state that compared to the other
nations, India has done less to combat these problems – in 2014, a global
analysis of how nations tackle environmental challenges has ranked India 155th
among 178 nations.
The best, sure-fire way to fight these problems is by
afforestation, that is, by planting more trees. Trees are quite useful beings.
It is not for nothing that trees are called ‘the lungs of the earth’. Trees
contribute a large amount of oxygen into the atmosphere. In a year, an acre of
mature trees can provide enough oxygen for eighteen people. Besides, trees
combat climate change in the form of global warming caused due to the building
up of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees are also known to absorb odours
and pollutant gases, and filter
particles out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.
Over the years, India has tried to bring larger areas under
green cover. Acts such as the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, were largely
successful. Following them, India has witnessed an increase in the forest
cover, from 40.48 million hectares in 1950, to 69 million hectares in 2006. At
present, around twenty-three per cent of India is covered by forests.
Moreover, at the state level also, the development is
promising. For example, Haritha Haram, introduced by the Telangana Government
is a programme intended to increase the present twenty-four per cent tree cover
in the state to thirty-three per cent of the total area.
That said, it is not solely the responsibility of the government
to bring about a change in the present situation. It is upon all of us, as
citizens of this country to strive for making an impact on the environment. By
taking simple measures such as planting more trees and by trying to reduce the
automobile emissions through cleaner alternatives such as bicycling, we not
only ensure that India becomes a greener country, but also that on a global
level, the world remains a habitable place for generations to come hereafter.
