learning from the Himachal Pradesh forest department’s initiative to save trees is essential
So finally, the forestry division of Himachal Pradesh, spurred on by the High Court’s tough talk and the unprecedented water crisis that hit Shimla during peak tourist season, has begun using technology to save receding forests. Much like radio-collaring and sensor cameras that are put in place to monitor tiger species, forest officers are tagging each tree with numbers and implanting sensor chips that would trigger an alarm the moment the unfamiliar sounds of tree-cutters or fire come within striking distance of destruction. Beside these sensors, whose GPS signals will be available on mobile phones, an aerial army of drones will keep monitoring the density of pine forests. Shimla has been denuded over time due to over-felling, frequent change of land use patterns, a forest fire, some of which is surreptitiously man-made to clear a patch for encroachment or felling by timber mafia. And while foolproof monitoring and conservation of botanical reserves is a tall physical order in the Himalayas, technological devices can help be the hawk’s eye. Particularly at a time when climate is challenging the priorities of how we live and, more importantly, how we provision for our continuity as a species. While satellite images can give us a broad perspective of the larger forest cover, geospatial technology is key to an objective assessment of changes at the local and micro levels. For example, if there is a change in the health of existing old species with new invasive varieties destroying the soil balance and even changing the topographical character, it would have a huge impact on arboreal life and supporting wildlife. Chip implants and camera traps can go a long way in mapping the potential causes of a depleting forest cover.
World over, technology has been used to revitalise forests. While the Shimla pilot will gradually be extended to the rest of Himachal, Delhi, too, can use some tracking devices to regrow and maintain its urban forests. Delhi could also follow the tree bond model, where developers deposit a huge security amount with the authorities while ensuring that no tree gets scratched or impaled during construction. The money is given back only after a survey of the completed project certifies that the greens are intact. Meanwhile, our tree-hugging citizens can introduce a new form of bhagidari by tracking the minutest change in their vicinity and sharing it with apps and online communities. This database can be used by the Government, which then will have no choice but to be accountable.
