They can be protected, but the double pressure of population and development is taking a toll on the forests.
A snow-capped Kangchenjunga and other neighboring peaks seen in an old photograph; (Photo: Getty Images)
FForests—rich in wildlife and precious, diverse flora—are the nation’s lungs and are vital to ecological balance. But this knowledge has taken a long time to come. The past several decades have seen a paradigm shift in the way forests are managed, from being regarded as a revenue earner and a means of exploitation in the colonial period and in the years immediately following independence.
The biggest pressure on India’s forests has been its increasing population. Forests have suffered because of the need for firewood, food, highways and dams. The priorities of environment and development continue to be fought as opposing ideals. In the last few decades community management and conservation of forests have been initiated through the National Forest Policy of 1988. At the time of independence, about 25 percent of India’s area was covered by forests. According to the latest India State of the Forest Report 2021, this has shrunk to 21 per cent. However, with the increase in coverage over the past decade, all is not lost, although it is still short of the forest policy target of 33 per cent forest cover by 2030. Forests on private land, with incentives to cut them down for economic gain, and zero tolerance for deforestation in national parks and sanctuaries are the new headlines in India’s fight for forests.
Photo: Getty Images