By Shri Balbir Singh IFS*
The earth's climate is changing through a natural cycle. It may be due natural causes and human interventions both. The natural causes include continental drift, volcanoes, the earth's tilt, and ocean currents etc. and are beyond the control of human being. The human activities viz industrialization, changes in land use pattern, deforestation, agriculture practices and burning of fossil fuels etc. led to rise in the emission of Greenhouse gases (CO2, water vapour, nitrous oxide and methane).

 The various studies estimate that land use change, including forest degradation and deforestation accounts for about 17-29% of global Greenhouse gases emissions.

Global warming (rise in temperature of earth’s atmosphere and oceans) happens due concentration of greenhouse, which trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere. The 2013 Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicated that during the 21st century, the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 0.3 to 1.7 °C (0.5 to 3.1°F) for their lowest emissions scenario using stringent mitigation and 2.6 to 4.8°C (4.7 to 8.6°F) for their highest which will cause sea levels to rise, seriously affect quality and distribution of natural biological resources of the country. It also affects human beings, animals and plants, many of which die who cannot adapt the climate change. Because of adverse affect on agriculture, it may pose a serious threat of food security for the masses.

Therefore it becomes imperative to take all steps to mitigate the climate change in a coordinated way. Accordingly a National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) consisting of 8(eight) National Missions addressing the urgent and critical concerns of sustainable development and identifying the close linkage of the economy with its natural resource resources was announced by the Govt. of India in 2008. The National Mission for a Green India is one of the eight Missions under NAPCC, aiming at to enhance ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and storage (in forests and other ecosystems), hydrological services and biodiversity; as well as other provisioning services such as fuel, fodder, small timber and non-timber forest products.

The 1988 national forest policy of India aimed at bringing 33% of the landmass of the country under forest cover to ensure environmental stability, restoring the ecological balance and poverty alleviation of the rural people. According to the India State of Forest Report 2013, the forest cover is 69.78 million ha, which is 21.23% of the geographical area (328.72 million ha) of the country and in comparison to 2011 assessment, there is increase of 5,871 square km. The decrease in Forest cover of NE is due to prevailing practice of shifting cultivation. Tripura States has more forest area (59.98%-0.63 million ha) than the national average.

Forests play a crucial role in a nation’s economy and have significant impact on the livelihood needs of rural/tribal people living in the fringe areas. Like other states, in Tripura also, in the past, the people have over exploited the forest resources (to meet their domestic needs), which have led to shrinkage of forest area as well as forest cover and also the wildlife habitat.

The Forest Department through various schemes including Externally aided projects has been making all endeavours to alleviate poverty by tree planting and other income generation activities. However in order to restore the biodiversity and to meet the domestic needs of people, the tree planting outside the forest areas is of vital importance. Such a huge task may be better achieved through active involvement of masses, especially the school children & forest dwellers by educating them on the role and importance of trees in keeping the environment clean & green. Vanmahotsava is the one of the via medias, for the purpose.

Vanmahotsava was started in the year 1950 by K. M. Munshi, the then Union Minister for Agriculture and Food to create an enthusiasm in the mind of the humans for planting of  trees to meet the requirement of fuelwood/fodder/small timber, creation of shelter-belts around agricultural fields to increase productivity, provide shade and ornamental trees for the landscape, conservation of soil and prevent further deterioration of soil fertility, providing economic and other benefits to the rural poor, popularizing  the planting of trees in farms, villages, municipal and public lands for their aesthetic, economic & protective needs and to inculcate tree consciousness and love of trees amongst the people.

Every year the vanmahotsava is being celebrated at State level and also at Districts, Sub-divisions, Blocks, Municipal council, Nagar Panchayat levels including institutions such as Schools, Colleges, Universities and Government Offices. Tree planting is taken up in available vacant space in various institutions and Government offices premises with the active involvement of students/staff by chalking out a plan after discussion with them, on a fixed day in July 2014. Also, the vacant areas in the police/para military forces establishments are taken up under tree planting.

The Forest Department provides the technical guidance on tree planting and supply tall saplings of the height of at least 4-5 feet (free of cost or at the nominal cost) from the nearest forest office, to various organizations/institutions but the plant guards, where ever necessary, are provided by themselves. Post planting care is taken by gap filling /vacancy filling whenever mortality takes place. Free distribution of seedlings to the school children and others is also done on the eve of celebration of state level Vanmahotsava. During the last three years, 301475 seedlings were planted during vanmahotsava and the success rate is 83%.

Also the Forest Department makes wide publicity through print as well as electronic media both to observe the vanmahotsava. As an awareness programme, cycle/bike rally, padyatra involving people and students are organized. The essay/painting competitions are also organized among the school/college students on the role and necessity of tree planting.

 It is the duty of everybody to participate in the tree planting festival. The tree gives us everything and demands nothing but simply allowed to grow. Let us heed to the prayer of tree (given below) and take pledge to protect the forest resources for saving the mother Earth.

Prayer of the Woods

I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights, the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun, and my fruits are refreshing draughts quenching your thirst as you journey on.

I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie, and the timber that builds your boat.

I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin.

I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty. 'Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer:

Harm me not.

(This prayer has been used in the Portuguese forest preservations for more than 1,000 years.)

*Addl. PCCF(APR) o/o PCCF, Tripura, Aranya Bhawan, Agartala.