Enviornmental awareness has grown over the years. But do enough people put it into practice in their daily lives? Do adults care enough to change their lifeforbiddens? Or is it up to our children to save the planet? Ashwin Aghor reports
MUMBAI: Preserving the environment has been a hotly discussed issue for some time now. The implications of global warming and climate change have taken centre stage on the agenda of every environmentalist. These environmentalists have been trying hard to create awareness among the general public about the dangers that our planet faces.
Rajesh Sachdev from Wild Mumbai Nature Conservation feels that though people are enthusiastic about environmental issues, they hardly know about the environment.
?People have the least idea about the environment, specially the coast and the forests around Mumbai,? says Sachdev. He feels that the only way to bring about a change is to keep reminding people about the importance of the environment.Abhijit Avaslekar, technical officer in the research and development wing of Asian Paints and a birder, feels that the situation has worsened in the past decade. ?Rampant tree cutting is causing irreparable damage to environment, which is a serious cause for concern,? says Avaslekar. ?Despite efforts by environmentalists and NGOs, awareness is not to the required level.?
The civic administration seems to be least bothered about the environment. That much is evident from the number of old trees that the city has lost, and is losing, to the rapid construction and developmental activities. Land sharks are eyeing land with thick green cover and have been getting the requisite approvals from the civic administration.
This has come as a major blow to the efforts of the environmentalists. To top it all, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is ready with its plan to ?modernise? the 150-year-old Jijamata Udyan, which, environmentalists say, will entail the destruction of several old trees.
The mindless development that has taken place, especially over the past five years, has severely affected the city?s green cover. Though there may be a quantitative increase in the green cover, the city has suffered hugely on the qualitative front.
All native trees have fallen prey to development and been replaced by exotic trees. ?The exotic trees that are planted all over the city for compensating the loss due to development are nothing but an eyewash,? says naturalist Sunjoy Monga. "These trees are of no use to the ecosystem and the city."
The exotic trees, also known as avenue trees, have undoubtedly added to the beauty of the locality, but they neither attract birds nor insects. According to experts, these trees actually create problems for the ecosystem. Due to their speed of growth, they absorb huge nutrients from the soil, thereby degrading it. As they grow rapidly, their lifespan is shorter, but their rate of decomposition is slow. Moreover, these trees are of no use as wood.
?The Sanjay Gandhi National Park and government lands like Navy Nagar are the last hope for native trees in the city,? says Monga.
The city has also lost a considerable amount of mangrove cover to development. The mangroves, which serve as a barrier between the sea and land, are most vulnerable as they are difficult to replant.
Even the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is considered the city?s biggest lung, is facing the heat. With encroachments and habitat destruction, the forest has come under severe threat. Uncontrolled encroachment in areas like Malad, Goregaon, and Aarey Milk Colony have caused enormous loss of green cover.
Political interference in the removal of encroachments from Sanjay Gandhi National Park has worsened the situation. ?The state government lacks the political will to clear encroachments from the national park,? says Debi Goenka of the Conservation Action Trust. ?The future of the city is being ruined for short-term gains, that too for politicians and the land mafia.?
Rapid development over the past few years has definitely robbed the city of some of its finest endemic and old giant trees and several splendid exotic trees such as the baobab. ?Any species, be it flora or fauna, that vanishes from any region, including the city, is a permanent loss, which is almost impossible to repair,? says Monga.
?Though environmental awareness has increased over the past two decades, no significant justice has been served to the environment,? says Dr Anish Andheria, chief naturalist from Kids for Tigers.
The silver lining is that more and more youngsters are taking up environmental studies and playing a pivotal role in saving the future. Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have taken up the task and started roping in schoolchildren for various environmental activities. NGOs like Kids for Tigers, Young Rangers, and Young Environmentalists, have been successful in effectively involving children in activities to save the environment.
These NGOs conduct activities like nature trails, planting trees and saving existing ones, saving forests, and wildlife contests, which have become a regular feature at many schools in the city. Schools have also encouraged these activities. As a result, there has been a tremendous growth in environmental awareness among schoolchildren. ?Children not only understand the problem, but also adopt preventive measures quickly as compared to adults,? says Monga.
Andheria says youngsters are the only hope as adults are a lost cause. ?The city will be worst hit by climate change and the ever degrading environment,? he says