Akangjungla
Every year the media houses in Nagaland, especially the newspaper offices are flooded with press releases on updates of the annual World Environment Day commemoration. The office starts receiving the matters for publication as early as two-three days before the actual day (June 5) with the request to publish the report and pictures of the event. It comes from all quarters – government departments, NGOs, civil society, unions and communities, church bodies and educational institutions among few.
There is certainly an increase in the count of various organisations marking the day by holding various competitions, conducting cleanliness drive and most commonly, undertaking tree plantation drives. It is encouraging to see participants holding and planting tree saplings trending in media platforms giving a glimpse for inspiring positive change; a clear sign of the State achieving the goal of connecting with the global community to protect the planet earth.
The World Environment Day 2022 theme was ‘Only One Earth’, which draws the attention towards ‘sustainable living in harmony with nature.’
Over the years, tree planting has become an omnipresent feature of the environmental outreach in Nagaland and it still continues to be so. The Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of Nagaland headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force in collaboration with the local communities keenly work to replenish the mother nature through tree plantation. Trees are planted for many reasons. These ranges from fighting climate change, preventing soil erosion and landslides and economically benefiting through the forest products. The benefits are generated when the saplings grow into matured trees.
Earlier reports in this newspaper have highlighted that Nagaland lies in the 10th distinct bio-geographic zone under one of the identified 18 mega hot spots in the world with reference to threats to biodiversity. However, human activities like reckless deforestation have been endangering many of the state’s flora and fauna. It is not a onetime affair. The rich biodiversity of the state is dwindling year by year due to the primitive method/practice of cultivation (i.e. slash burning) and most of species, both flora and fauna, appear to be endangered due to heavy biotic pressure/interference and reckless deforestation.
Is implementing massive tree plantation campaigns once a year enough to reverse decades of deforestation? Had it been enough to simply plant a tree sapling every World Environment Day, the entire state of Nagaland by now would be a full forest cover on its own. Planting is not enough. It is just the start of a long growth process. The task starts after the plantation. The understanding and need to nurture environment has to go beyond commemorating events and issuing press releases. Tree plantation drive needs to be replaced by tree growing campaigns with the right purpose.
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