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Green House Effect, Natural Havoc & Ecological Imbalance

NORTH-EAST INDIA FACING NATURES WRATHSHIB SHANKAR CHATTERJEE

North-East India (specially the states of Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya,Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and also West-Bengal), the land of Red Rivers and Blue Hills, is a captivatingplace since its birth. There are dense green forest, rivers with heavy current, murmuring brooks mighty falls,blue hills and wild animals. This is why it is generally known in the out side world a land of numbers ofJungle.

Today, the picture of the North-Eastern States of India, specially Assam, Meghalaya and West-

Bengal are gradually wearing out, losing all its charm. The explosion of population has put enormouspressure on the forests and the ever-increasing timber, fuel-wood and charcoal demand has taken a heavy tollof the forests. All these noxious or destructive work began to tell on the natural resources in the middle part ofpast century, (that is, after the sixties) and the situation has more worsened now.

In 1947, three fourth areas of Assam, Meghalaya and West-Bengal are used to be surrounded by denseforests and more than 50% (percent) to 60% (percent) of these states areas were under forest cover. Presently,it has dwindled to less than 35% (percent) but official figures may be little less or low. Today, Assam,Meghalaya and West-Bengal have reached to an alarming position due to wanton destruction of forest forcultivation and construction of houses by a section of noxious group.

The environment has changed a lot in the last 15-years to 20-years. The climate swings to extremes.Winter is becoming colder and summer very oppressive. The distribution of rainfall has become erratic. Thereis heavy downpour and the Sun comes up immediately, drying up the surroundings almost instantaneously.Intermittent torrential rain in the region causes devastating flood, erosion and landslip or landslide. The high

relative humidity is harmful to crops and other vegetation and the important cash crops of the region, underground productive vegetables and fruits have been affected by a number of new pests and diseases in the lasttwo decades. Many fascinating and endangered flora and fauna unique to the region are pushed to the brink ofoblivion. The region, known for its myriad butterflies, beetles, bees and avi-fauna, looks almost deserted now.

Geologically speaking, the sub-Himalayan region is relatively young and has a fragile eco-system. Inthe last three decades serious landslips and flash floods have been nagging these areas. Another major issuelooming large before human being or local people is the charcoal crisis.

According to forest officials, These hills and plain areas are not of stable geological formation and theregion is seismically sensitive. Specially, in hill areas, mild earthquakes and tremors are frequent and theycause serious damage. Rocks and over-burden are loosened during earth tremors and torrential rain movesthem down, leading to landslips, which occur commonly and which lead to serious loss to life and property.Sinking is the most important land degradation problem in these particular states areas. Though, this hasbeen going on for centuries, the magnitude of the problem became enormous in the last three decades. It has

gone up hundred-fold in those years. There are several perpetually-sinking spots around these states plainsand hills forests areas. The indiscriminate hacking of trees leaves the soil open to the forces of the elementsand the earth gets eroded.

The Eastern Himalayan region is known for the richness of its flora and fauna and the biologicaldiversity forms the basis for extensive botanical and zoological study here. The precious resources arebeginning to vanish. The forest areas in these states areasper se remain static.

Apart from this, agitation of the extremists groups resulted in heavy and unbridled plunder of forestresources and several brown blotches marring the verdant beauty of the hills and plains have surfaced. In fact,during the last 10 to 12 years, the militant movements were there, which led to an extensive deforestation,when illicit felling was high. The clearing continues. The rate of afforestation does not match the deforestationand it has created an imbalance in the environment in this Assam and Meghalaya states sector.

Again, these particular states areas have become a jungle of concrete structures and the result isserious disturbances in the climate. About five decades ago, it has thunder and hail storms in the month of

February and March and now they occur in the month of July, quite strangely. Winter lingers up to monthApril now, and there is a sea change in the climate in recent decades.

Alarmed at the rate of deforestation, the Assam, Meghalaya and West-Bengal Governments set up avarious Forest Development Schemes or Projects (FDS), which has done more damage than good. Accordingto the forest officials of the Assam, Meghalaya and West-Bengal with the formation of the FDS, the indigenous broad-leaved trees, which provided fodder to cattle and fruits to birds and met the needs of the localcommunity, have been systematically replaced by fast-growing commercial species. The environmentally-sound selective felling has been given the go by and a highly destructive practice of clear felling has comeinto vogue.

The Indian forest department wants to promote only commercial species, which have no relevance forthe local people. The fodder and fuel needs of the locals have been ignored. The forest officials made a hue andcry but to no avail. Deforestation was rampant in catchment areas like Assam, Meghalaya and West-Bengalareas. The natural springs in the region have dried up and the areas face acute water scarcity in summer and

the spring season. Even, hamlets are facing a water shortage, which is a strange phenomenon in these plainsand hills with high annual precipitation.

Sometimes, water is being brought from the rivers and its tributaries, waterfalls, fountains et cetera inAssam, Meghalaya and West-Bengal by tankers or others means of transportation to hills and plains areasrespectively.

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On the other hand, heavy illegal encroachments for expanding agriculture (especially like jhum) havebeen noticed in pasture lands and khas lands (that is, scrub jungles). Efforts to take up social-forestry on suchlands have become fertile.

Once the people realised the suitability of forest lands for raising high value crops, indiscriminateexploitation of forests and grasslands began. The catchment areas were increasingly denuded. Large areas onthe hill-sides were also brought under cultivation without Government notice of permission. Increaseddemand for fuel-wood and a sharp rise in its price in last decade had virtually decimated the trees in forests.Additional pressure from the tea plantation workers has also had a devastating effect on the trees. Mostplantation workers got money to buy fuel-wood as per estate regulations, but they pocket it and plunder the

woods, according to environmentalists and the local people of these states areas.Remote-sensing dates have revealed that vast tracts, supposed to have been evergreen forests earlier

are now grasslands or cultivated lands. Severe soil erosion has occurred in several localities turning the landbarren. Even, one type of encroachment (for living people) also going on the reserve and proposed reserveforests land. It has always finally to yield and regularise the encroachment because of politically-motivatedand short-sighted policies.

In 1930 to 1940s it has seen a vast difference now from the landscape and the climate of those days. Atthat time, the rains used to be on schedule and water use to too cold in winter, even to cool in summer.Specially, Southern and Northern West-Bengals rivers and worlds of the largest river, Brahmaputra and itstributaries in the Eastern India use to flow steadily, guided by the lofty trees lining its course.

Now the beauty of these states hills and plains areas are gone and ugly blotches of eroded soil dot thelandscape. Summer is too hot and one needs fans and even air-conditions to cool off. Rains are erratic andwinter is shorter. These hilly rivers are no more a clear river and it carries chunks of mud following rains. This

river uncontrollably turgid and causes great havoc. Its banks are bereft of the trees, which guarded the forestsoil.

In fact, the forests used to act sponges, absorbing the rain-water and maintaining the hydrologicalbalance and once they are gone soil erosion become a serious problem. The forest floors and trees used to belittered with orchids of myriad forms and hues. Now these can be seen only in commercial nurseries andgardens.

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