Our Reporter
Dimapur, Nov. 12 (EMN): India has lost half of its forests with 40% of its mangrove and large area of wetlands vanishing, numerous species of plants and animals going extinct and human-animal conflict brewing as encroached land shrinks animal habitat.
This issue was highlighted by the editor of The Leaflet, Ramesh Menon, at an online session with journalists from across 20 states on Friday.
The veteran journalist, who has been working in media for 45 years, said that India is one of the 12 mega diversity hotspot regions in the world with tropical rainforests, alpine vegetation, temperate forests, wetlands, deserts, coastal areas and an inventory of over 47,000 species of plants and over 89,000 species of animals.
There are 167 crop species and over 350 wild relatives. India is considered to be the centre of origin of 30,000-50,000 varieties of rice, pigeon pea, mango, turmeric, ginger, sugarcane, and gooseberries, and ranks seventh in terms of contribution to world agriculture, it was informed.
‘With fabulous mountain ranges, forests, grasslands, water bodies, marine wealth, dry and cold deserts, thousands of livelihoods survive all over these areas with forest as the wealth of the country. India supports 8% of the worlds biodiversity but its biodiversity is plundered and losing this rich biodiversity. Widespread habitat destruction has been one of the villains. Forests are the largest repository of biodiversity,’ he stated.
Emphasising on requiem for the environment, Menon lamented depleting water tables across India, overused and wastage with no water management and no rainwater harvesting. India has got enough rain but the management is not how it should be and the country will be sentenced to hydrological poverty, he rued.
Stressing on pesticides in the country, he pointed out that India was the largest producer and user of pesticides in the world. Most of them are banned worldwide but we continue to use them and it has entered the food chain which will have very damaging consequences. The only answer to the use of pesticide is to follow organic farming, he said.
He also said that India needs good research journalists on environment and wildlife issue. Anyone can write on environment and can be an activist but environment issue is much more than one understands, he added.
The veteran journalist reminded the participants that ‘the forests are shrinking as they are being converted to meet the greed of human’. Laws, he pointed out, are too lax to stop poachers while numerous species are already extinct and many are on the verge of vanishing forever. The tiger can never be saved, he added.
He also pointed out the menace of increasing e-waste, dangerous recycling, poor waste management, and pollution, lack of energy, natural sources required and unsustainable lifestyles.
“India needs nuclear energy but there are inherent dangers of accidents and leaks and poor compensation. 470 million dollar was what was provided to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy (which was not a nuclear accident) and the tragedy would never have happened had the laws been followed. Lax laws continue to flout safety and for multinationals; India is a great country to do business in as they will not be punished,” he observed.
Menon asserted that the industry needs and environmental safeguards do not match and the former often wins. Special economic zones, mining, industrial belts like golden corridor of Gujarat all disregard environment and climate change is not only about environmental issue but political issue as well, he added.
Economic growth, he noted, will lead to environmental problems so all growth in the future must be sustainable so that the next generations don’t suffer.
‘Global warming has serious effects on India with its long coastline. Sea level rise will inundate huge areas. India has to cut down on its pollution, regenerate forests, save its rivers and lakes penalize those who pollute or destroy the environment,’ he said.
Menon, who is also a recipient of Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Madhavankutty Gold Medal for Journalism, opined that India, as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, needs to lead by example.
‘As India marches ahead of the economic expressway it has to ensure that it is not at the cost of the environment,’ he said.