‘At the pace humans are plundering Earth; it will no longer be able to regenerate itself’
Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | April 21
Planet Earth is currently losing over 15 billion trees each year due to deforestation, land development, and bad forest management, which is roughly 48 football fields every minute.
Earth Day, which began as an environmental movement in 1970, pertinently has “Trees for the Earth” as its theme this year-today.
In 2014, Dr. Tolto Metha, Team Member of Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency, started an awareness campaign on Facebook under the banner, “Save the Trees in Nagaland” to provoke thoughts and interest among the people on the various aspects of depleting our oldest natural resource in the state- Trees. In the last couple of years, the Page has garnered the support of over 5000 people.
On Nagaland scenario, Dr. Tolto Metha attributed the rampant deforestation and destruction of trees to the lucrative Timber business and burning of jungle.
“These eco-unfriendly activities have to be minimized and stopped ultimately if we are to breathe cleaner air, drink cleaner water and live longer,” Metha said.
Stating that, “Trees are the lungs of our planet”, he said, “if we go on destroying them, we’ll be left choking one fine day, and I tell you, at this rate, we are nowhere far from perdition.”
Environmentalist and Assistant Professor, University of Delhi, Dr. Robert Mizo expressed concern that planet Earth is reaching a point where humans will be unable to carry the unbridled anthropogenic activities aimed at mindless development and consumerism.
“At the pace, we humans are plundering Earth, it will no longer be able to regenerate itself,” Dr Mizo apprehended while adding that if people, governments and societies of today do not take cognizance of this, the future of humanity will certainly be gloomy.
In this regard, he highlighted on the new understanding of the concept of sustainable development that portends to not only sustainable usage of resources but also safeguard the earth’s life support system.
“This is an idea, an ethic that needs to be imbibed and embraced by all and particularly by the policy makers,” he urged.
He further pointed out that Nagaland is a part of the fragile lower Himalayan region, which is why, the impact of climate change and other environmental problems are bound to be severe due to these.
As tribal societies who have lived in close association with nature for centuries, Mizo asserted that it is nothing short of a cultural obligation to safeguard and protect the environment.
