Green India

“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 155^th 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.