Policy to Practice: On Environmental Degradation

World Environment Day is observed annually on 5 June to spread awareness about pressing ecological crises, from climate change and plastic pollution to biodiversity loss, deforestation, and global warming. It serves as a clarion call for collective action to arrest these threats and promote sustainable development. Over five decades of relentless campaigning by governments, non-governmental organisations, and environmentalists have not been in vain as the message of preserving nature has reached every corner of the world, though action remains largely limited. Reports also indicate a slowdown in the net loss of forest area over the years, thanks to afforestation and land conservation efforts by various countries. This demonstrates that environmental damage can be restored to a great extent if we put our acts together. Nagaland, however, continues to grapple with environmental degradation. According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) by the Forest Survey of India, the state's forest area constitutes approximately 52.07% of its total geographical area, yet between 2013 and 2023, it lost about 794.88 sq km of forest cover. This decline is attributed to unsustainable practices such as jhum cultivation, timber trade, infrastructure development, and unplanned urbanisation. This trend persists despite extensive tree-plantation drives, forest-preservation campaigns, and awareness programmes initiated by the government and civil societies. Another critical issue is unsustainable hunting, which, despite being prohibited by law, is leading to a decline in wildlife populations and pushing many flora and fauna to the brink of extinction. While many villages have commendably banned hunting, such localised efforts will prove ineffective without collective action from neighbouring villages and areas.

The failure to make Nagaland plastic-free, despite it being one of the first Indian states to declare a ban on plastic items, also reflects a lack of collective effort and weak on-the-ground implementation. The state government marked World Environment Day in 2018 by announcing its plan to make the state plastic-free, followed by a complete ban on all single-use plastic items a year later. Since then, the government has made several attempts to enforce the ban, but with limited success, as banned items keep returning to the market. The problem persists eight years after the initial declaration. While the intent was laudable, the implementation has fallen short. Similarly, trash reappears at unauthorised dumping sites just hours after authorities conduct clean-up operations, and litter chokes drains, triggering floods during the rainy season. This underscores that visionary policies must be supported by stringent implementation, political will, and active community participation to achieve desired environmental goals. Undermining environmental conservation and disrupting ecological balance can have devastating consequences, including species extinction, crop infestations, extreme weather conditions, food insecurity, and much more.