अरावली की बात

आओ करें अरावली की बात,

करोड़ों साल पुरानी इस पर्वत श्रृंखला की।

जहाँ से कई नदियों का उद्गम हुआ है,

वहाँ आज इसे तोड़ने की तैयारी है।

सुप्रीम न्यायालय ने ये ज़िद ठानी है,

अरबपतियों की झोली जो भरनी है।

आज वो रेडियो चुपचाप पड़ा है,

जिस पर राजा आकर दो शब्द बोलता था-

कि वो विकास करेगा, सबको नौकरी देगा।

पर उसने भी एक ज़िद ठानी है,

अरावली को तोड़कर,

अरबपतियों की झोली जो भरनी है।

कहाँ गया वो सम्मान उस माँ का,

जिसके नाम पर योजना चलती है?

कभी गंगा का नाम लेकर वोट माँगे,

तो कभी दूसरे देश में जाकर पेड़ लगाए।

इस राजा ने ज़िद ये ठानी है,

अरबपतियों की झोली जो भरनी है।

क्या होगा उन जन जीवो का,

जिन्होंने इस जगह को जाना है,

और वो कहीं नहीं जा सकते—

बस यहीं उनका बसेरा है।

पर सुप्रीम न्यायालय ने ये ज़िद ठानी है,

अरबपतियों की झोली जो भरनी है।

शासन हो या न्यायालय,

देश से बड़ा कोई भी नहीं।

बात नहीं ये किसी के सम्मान की,

हमारा भविष्य अंधकार से भरा है।

जिद इन्हे अपनी छोड़नी है,

क्योंकि जंगल माँगते आजादी।

"अरावली की बात " is a poem that i wrote about the need to save Aravalli from the harrowing decision by the honorable Supreme Court of India. However, this is not the first time attempt of people in power trying to encapsulate Aravalli into something worthless. This mountain range has been for years, under threat from mining, deforestation, etc. This is the oldest mountain range of India and acts like a barrier to save states like Delhi and Haryana from turning into a desert and thus it is very helpful in regulating the climate of the region.Writing in Hindi felt necessary because English failed to carry all of my fury. 

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Save Raika: A Fight To Save Lungs Of Jammu

I want to you to close your eyes and imagine a scene of a “Jungle”. The first thing that will come up in your mind will be that there is a peaceful environment, now you are starting to listen to some sounds like chirping of birds, there is sun shining at your face, and while you are walking inside the forest, you just stepped on a wood piece which made a cracking voice. Now as you are going inside the forest, you start to hear the voices of Monkeys, they are jumping from one tree to another. As you move further, you can hear the voice of water flowing in the river that flows through the forest. As you are getting farther inside the forest, you can feel the cool wind blowing and the sunlight reaching the ground is decreasing because the forest is getting denser and denser with more species of plants and animals. Being inside a forest is scary and heartwarming because you found yourself between mother nature. You feel happy seeing so many lives thriving inside the forest, seeing deer with their fawns, crocodiles hunting their prey. They all are living peacefully without causing harm to the human settlements unless it’s a case where the habitat of those animals is reduced and they comes out of the jungle in search of food.

On one fine day, an officer thinks to reduce the forest area and build some buildings that already exist at some other place. This is what is going to be happen to Raika forest in Jammu. Raika is a forest located on the outskirts of the city of Jammu and acts as the lungs of the city. Now, the forest is under threat from the proposed High Court shifting project, for which 38,000 tress are going to be chopped down.Raika forest is a part of Bahu Conservation Reserve, which is home to many endangered species. Bahu reserve is home to various species of flora and fauna like rock pigeon, red-vented bulbul, wild boar, rhesus monkey etc. Other endangered species includes Green peafowl, which is listed in schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act, 1972 and appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna. Another Schedule 1 species found here is leopard. Rabbits, Snakes, Bears, Chakor, Porcupine also reside in this forest.

Jammu comes in the seismic zone of IV and V and the eco-sensitive region raises concerns over future calamities due to the chopping down of trees. It will not only lower down the AQI of the Jammu city but will also reduce rainfall in the region. The forests protect us from the floods because they help absorb the excessive water due to heavy rainfall. As I mentioned previously, the region lies in the seismic zone, the rapid concretisation of hills near the city in Raika forest might lead to another disaster like in Joshimath. Those in power are betraying our future by giving allowance to big projects recklessly, without even thinking about the consequences.

Save Ladakh: Grant Sixth Schedule To Ladakh

Peoples in Ladakh are demanding for sixth schedule to be implemented in the Union Territory of Ladakh in order to protect their forest, land & water. This demand has came after the exclusion of the demand of 6th schedule to be granted for Ladakh from the Ministry of Home Affairs. After government of India revoked the special status of Jammu & Kashmir in 2019 and divided it into two Union Territories, the fear among the peoples of Ladakh has grown. The fear of big business taking away the land and job from the local peoples have contributed to this fear.

What is Sixth Schedule?
Sixth Schedule is a part of the Article 244 of the Indian constitution that gives power to the tribal peoples to protect their resources. For a region to be under this 6th schedule, the tribal population must be more than 50%. Sixth schedule currently in force in north-eastern states like Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalya.

Ladakh & Sixth Schedule
Ever since Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, it has seen a rise in mining, tourism, big projects which threatens the ecology of Ladakh. In September 2019, Nation Commission for Scheduled Tribes recommended that the Ladakh should be granted the sixth schedule because more than 97% population of the Ladakh is Tribal. Ladakh is waiting for the sixth schedule to be granted.

Save Kolkata Trams: Fighting to Save Heritage of Kolkata

Trams in the Indian city of Kolkata began in 1873. They are now operated by the West Bengal Transport Corporation. Electrification of Kolkata Trams was done back in 1902 making it the second oldest electric tramway in India after Madras. The first electric tram car in Calcutta ran from Esplanade to Kidder pore on March
27, 1902. During 1960s up to 37 lines of Trams were operating but the number has gradually declined to just 6 lines operating in the present. The reason behind this reduction in tram lines network is due to the following reasons:

• Financial Struggle
• Poor Maintenance
• Low Ridership
• Addition of Road
• Expansion of the Kolkata Metro
• Slow Tram Speed
• Thinking that Trams are outdated & occupy too much road space

Due to these reasons, there have been talks whether to shutdown or reduce the tram lines. Trams are Eco-Friendly & causes zero pollution. Kolkata is on the verge of becoming the Lung Cancer capital of India because of increasing pollution in the city. So, there have been recent efforts to Save Kolkata Trams by groups like CTUA. Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA) is a pressure group based in the Indian city of Kolkata working to create awareness about Trams & to Save Kolkata Trams. The organization was founded in December 2016.
In a Change.org petition to the Government of West Bengal, CTUA members have demanded from the state government to “declare the most congested roads as No Emissions Zone & allow only Tram, other electric vehicles and Cycles”. “Tram is a ready solution to check pollution but unfortunately, nothing much is being done for it. It is the only one in India & one of the oldest in the world. We strongly believes that the government should sustain & modernize the tramways as a part of the Biswa Bangla Initiative”, said Udit Ranjan Gupta, a Tram Enthusiast & member of CTUA.
“This mode of transport is dying fast due to adverse policies”, he further added. CTUA members suggested several measures to modernize tramways such as automated doors, digital signal boards and better acceleration and breaking systems in Tram. The group want transport department to create designated tram stops & platforms for passengers. This group has also suggested that the schedule to run tram should be made available on the Pathadisha App and synchronized with school timings so that students can use them. In an interview with me, CTUA President Dr. Debasish Bhattacharyya said, “At present we demand restoration of all closed tram routes & tram depots to functionality as it was before, say in 1980s”.

Save Buxwaha Forest: A Story Similar to Thano

Buxwaha forest is forest in the Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Recently, this forest land have been e-auction and Essel Mining & Industries Limited (EMIL), which is an Aditya Birla Group company, have won Bunder Diamond Mining project & state government have grant the land piece of 382 ha for next 50 years on lease.

Wildlife

The Bunder area is a part of Narmada Valley Dry-Deciduous eco region where project site is located. The region is neither rich nor high in number of endemic species but is home to many endangered & threatened species like Asia’s largest Carnivore, the Tiger. No Wildlife sanctuary, National park, Tiger reserve exists in the forest but yet it provides shelter to many amazing species of animals. The fauna of the region includes both carnivores and herbivores. Common species are jungle cat, sloth bear, jackal, striped hyena, Indian fox and wild dog. Primates found in the Prospect include common languor and rhesus macaque. Ungulates include blue bull, found in the most of the forest area. Indian wild boar is fairly common. Rodents found in the Prospect include the common Indian hare, rats and porcupines. Common bird species found in the area are peafowl, brown fish owl, blue rock pigeon, koel, Bengal vulture, common pariah kite, gray quail, and crested hawk eagle.Reptile list includes cobra, and krait.

All this information about the biodiversity of this forest was reported in a report submitted by Rio Tinto Exploration India during a survey from 2006–2011. The report was submitted in May 2017. However in the draft it was said the region has no specific flora and fauna. The same case happened with Thano Forest in Uttarakhand, where they declared region has no flora and fauna. 

Save Dumna: A Race To Save Lungs Of Jabalpur

Dumna Nature Reserve(DNR) in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur area is a well-preserved ecological habitat in an urban area. It is spread over 1,000 hectares and has rich wildlife with a history of nearly 150 years of conservation.However, it is increasingly facing threats from various projects including a tiger safari, a road, an institute that are being proposed or cleared in and around it. A group of biologists, environmentalists and wildlife experts have now filed several public interest litigations to halt all such plans. The petitioners argue that if allowed, projects such as tiger safari would increase footfall in the reserve which would negatively impact Dumna and its wildlife, while also increasing chances of human-wildlife conflict. Spread over hundreds of hectares and home to a rich variety of wildlife, the Dumna Nature Reserve (DNR) in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur area, is being threatened by a series of projects with the latest being a tiger safari, aimed at promoting tourism to the area. However, there is an ongoing movement to keep the reserve undisturbed and at least three public interest litigation (PILs) have been filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court for this.

Dumna is among the most well preserved ecological habitats in an urban area and it is also a catchment area for the Khandari Lake which is an important source of drinking water supply to the city. This reserve and the adjoining forest areas have a history of nearly 150 years of conservation. Over the years, the reserve that also acts as the lungs of the city has evolved as a well-preserved ecological habitat. It has a population of nine leopards, more than 2,000 deer, host of other wildlife such as cheetal, barking deer, four-horned antelope, jungle cat, Asiatic wild cat, wild boar, crocodile and more than 300 species of birds (both migrant and resident). According to the PILs, the park boasts of diverse ecosystems – woodlands, grasslands and wetlands. etc. Over the past few years, a series of projects have been proposed or cleared in the area and its surroundings, threatening its future. Anshuman Singh, a lawyer who has filed two such PILs in the MP High Court arguing that the proposal to establish the tiger safari is arbitrary and illegal, explained to Mongabay-India that it is not the just the future of the DNR that is at stake but also of those living around it. Originally, Dumna was spread over 1,000 hectares (about 2,500 acres) but now it is spread in an area of about 1800 acres. “This place has had a history of 150 years of conservation and has flourished over time developing itself into an entirely self-sustained and beautiful ecosystem. But now the difficulty is that the administration looks upon this land as a land parcel which can be utilised for various purposes and it comes up time and again with various schemes. Years ago, 100 hectares were given for the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing and now a tiger safari and several other projects for non-forestry purposes are being proposed,” said Singh. He revealed that there are proposals to allot a large tract of land “from the area just outside nature park but within the conserved ecosystem” to the railways for construction of their offices, another piece of land to tourism corporation for an institute, another land parcel for development of a convention center or a hotel, for an IT park and lastly an international cricket stadium.

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Save Thano: Why We Need To Work On The Principal Of Save Every Forest To Save Every Life?

When someone asks us to imagine a scene of a ‘Jungle’ meaning forest then more and more ideas comes on our mind like when we enters the forest, the Environment will be peaceful with blowing of a cool breeze. It makes up happy and feels fresh. That feeling is unexplainable because we’re in between Mother Nature which is holding the precious life in it. We can end speaking on any given topic in school but our Imagination about the Jungle world will not end. We hear the sounds of birds and sounds from the branches of trees on which Monkeys are jumping and the sound of water from a Waterfall spreads the happiness everywhere.

Now, this feeling will no longer can be feel in future for the Nature lovers in Thano Forest region, near Dehradun in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand government sought National Wildlife Board's approval to transfer 243 acres of forest land to Airports Authority of India. Up to 10,000 trees could be chopped down for the expansion of Uttarakhand's main airport in Dehradun. The move to cut the trees in the Thano range of the Dehradun forest division could affect wildlife in the elephant corridors nearby, forest department sources said. The Uttarakhand government has sought the National Wildlife Board's approval to transfer 243 acres of forest land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for expanding the Jolly Grant Airport. The area in question also lies within a 10 km radius of the Rajaji National Park Eco-Sensitive Zone.It may cause severe damage to the region's delicate ecology and more frequent natural disasters because of projects that do not consider long-term environmental impact. As the region is highly Eco Sensitive, here in Thano region a Bird Watching camp was organized by state Forest Department from March 13 to March 15, 2015. The results shows that As many as 104 bird species were identified at Thano. The birds seen included the passage migrants chestnut-eared bunting and white-capped bunting. Oriental pied hornbill and seven species of woodpeckers among numerous other bird species were other birds sighted.

Forests are the lungs of the entire planet. Forests help in maintaining average temperature of Earth. They also helps in maintaining many Bio-Geochemical Cycles that includes Water, Nitrogen, Carbon, Sulfur (Sulphur), etc.The deforestation of forests is one of the major reason behind the acceleration of Climate Crisis. Deforestation causes Soil Erosion which will make the soil infertile that will be resulted in Desertification, a process in which fertile land get converted into Desert. Trees prevent soil erosion. The tree cover also softens the effect of heavy rains on the forests soil due to which top soil does not flow easily.
When there will be no trees, then the devastation caused by the Natural Disasters will increase like more floods, droughts, etc. Deforestation will also affect the Water Cycle which will decrease the rainfall. The decrease in rainfall will lower the groundwater level and could cause droughts because no process of Water cycle will take place in the absence of trees.Another damage to the Human Kind and Nature will be the extinction of many Wild plants and Animals which are found only in that particular area only and are nowhere found in the world. When trees and other plants are cut down then the Natural habitat will get destroyed.
“Nature contributes a lot to the peoples. It provides you shelter, food, Oxygen, etc. But what you are contributing for the ‘Mother Nature’? You are contributing nothing except of destroying it”. Now is the time to start conserving and protecting our forests by working on the principle that All Forest Matters, by working on the principle that is Save Every Forest to Save Every Life because it took many years for a forest to grow but it takes a single or a half minute for our elected officials to sign a order to clear the entire forest.

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