Some day soon, people from cities will
have to begin relocating because they will have run out of water. Many
water bodies are drying out due to over-exploitation triggered by
unsustainable growth
Mounting public anger over Delhi Jal Board’s colossal failure to
re-haul the obsolete water distribution system, hamstrung by rusty
leaking pipes and thefts, is fuelled by growing suspicion of a nexus
between the concerned functionaries and private tankers. Many are now
compelled to buy water at high cost to meet their needs. It is the same
in Gurgaon, Faridabad and contiguous townships.
If western Uttar Pradesh NCR towns are as yet not afflicted by the
crisis, it is because of the forcible diversion of Ganga waters via
canals, first built by the British, and then, expanded by their native
successors. A massive pipe also carries such water from the
controversial Tehri Dam to Delhi and UP-NCR. Hindon is exploited as well
while Southern Haryana is solely dependent on Yamuna, local lakes and
groundwater.
But the latter two are fast disappearing as indiscriminate
colonisation gains alarming momentum. Against this backdrop, for Haryana
policy-makers to propose concretising the remnant of forest cover in
the stretch of the Aravallis running through this arid state is
criminal. Certainly, penal action would be warranted if this is allowed,
in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and Wildlife
Protection Act, 1972. Proponents of the reckless scheme argue that the
green cover is not large enough to qualify as a forest. But visionary
administrators, in a region that suffers badly from paucity of green
cover and water, should do their utmost to conserve whatever remains,
rather than destroying it.
Early experiences of enchanted forests, obtained vicariously through
fairytales and Panchtantra, are realised on venturing into the
breathtaking environs of Mangerbani in Faridabad district. Ishani
Dutta’s film, The Sacred Forest, brings it alive, documenting its
sanctity and immense relevance for the present, as much as the awaiting
doom. One learns that the Who’s Who in the country have stakes, with
fragmented land-holdings being sold by individual owners. An ancient
sacred forest, protected by the local Gujjars for over five centuries,
it is self-renewing as the inhabitants of nearby villages still obey
their guru, Gadaria Baba’s directive, never to break a twig, or harm any
living creature. It is as Mr RP Balwan, former Conservator of Forests,
Gurgaon, says, the last Dhau forest in the state. Filmmaker and
naturalist Pradeep Kishen has extensively identified rare species. The
forest harbours itinerant leopards, hyenas, jackals, hares, deer,
mongoose, reptiles, and a vast variety of birds. Conservationists
consider it an irreplaceable biosphere.
with thanks : The Pioneer :
LINK for detailed news report.
