DIMAPUR: With a heat wave sweeping the North East region, there has been an acute drinking water crisis in places like Imphal, Dimapur, Kohima, Aizawl. Bush fires have also occurred in many forested areas of the region. Many have pointed to faulty government policies for the present situation.
Guwahati based award winning senior journalist, Samudragupta Kashyap suggested that the government should efficiently and effectively follow certain Supreme Court directives on the environment. "In December 1996 the Supreme Court banned the felling of trees but today no one abides it," he said.
He stated that the government should see to it that the Supreme Court stand is not violated by the people. Kashyap added that the public should follow the general rule that for every tree felled, ten saplings should be planted and looked after till they matured. Samudragupta Kashyap also said thousands of trees have been felled while cutting new highways and roads. "In such cases saplings should be planted as an act of replacing the felled trees," he asserted. Kashyap then censured the NGOs for keeping quiet when thousands of trees are felled while constructing highways and roads.
Niketu Iralu, from Nagaland viewed unless the people realize that their activities are creating more environmental problem, the people are bound to experience more hardship. Iralu said that burning of forest should be stopped at once by the people. He added," Our needs are increasing but the resources in this planet are limited."
Noted rights activist from Manipur Babloo Loitangbam said awareness among the people or educating the people why they are facing such a situation today is very important.
El Hmar, a journalist based in Silchar has this to say, "Excessive exploitation of our environment should be checked if we are to avoid an environment disaster." According to him, the rising heat wave, acute shortage of drinking water and pollution prevailing today are just the beginning.
