We are facing a series of natural calamities — from fierce heatwaves that are breaking records, growing water scarcity, and now forest fires. I am reminded of the lines by Malayalam poet Inchakkad Balachandran: “ Ini varunnoru thalamuraykku/Ivide vaasam saadhyamo (Can the coming generation live here, anymore”)? The way in which the Uttarakhand fires are being handled once again proves that a mild approach is taken in tackling the causative factors, one of them said to be the role of the local timber mafia (May 2). There has to be national consensus on forest management, awareness programmes and monitoring systems to resolve issues from the ground level. We need to cultivate an environmental outlook in order to make this earth liveable for generations to come.
Sreekrishnadas Mathoor,Chennai
One of the most enduring images of the hilly regions in northern India is the thick pine tree growth. However, there is a flip side to this pretty picture. Called “ Cheed ” locally, the tree, much like the eucalyptus, soaks up moisture from the soil and also prevents other trees from growing. The pine is responsible to a great extent for the water shortage in the hill areas of Uttarakhand. The pine leaves, called “ Pirul ” locally, form a thick carpet on the forest floor. The “ Cheed-Pirul ” combine effectively kills off other plant life. In summer, the blade-like leaves are a veritable tinderbox. There are also cases of people setting fire to the forests for cultivation. Moves by the government to curb all this have failed as there has been no local support.
Now that there is a catastrophic fire, the Central government must launch a scheme to educate the rural masses on such anti-environmental activities. There must also be strong action taken against arsonists.
Kailash Gairi,Gair, Uttarakhand
