Unless the reasons and consequences of destruction of the forests are brought into focus, a transformative thinking cannot be formed. Noted environmentalist and Chipko movement leader Chandi Prasad Bhatt said this while delivering the keynote address at the International Day of Forests programme at Forest Research Institute (FRI) here on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering, Bhatt said that the role of forests has increased manifolds given the pressure of rising population and associated developmental activities. “We have perhaps forgotten our age old traditional relations with the forests and hence there is an urgent need to revive it. Educating the common man has become imperative for this purpose,” he said. The Government of India, Forest departments and institutions like Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and FRI should organise more such events to educate and sensitise people for conservation and effective policy should be in place to enhance the income of the tribals and forest dependent communities, added Bhatt.
Speaking as the chief guest, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change secretary CK Mishra stressed on the need to rethink and initiate actions for educating the common man for their effective linking to the forests and to make hassle free approach of the government towards sustainable utilisation of forests. Awareness should not only be confined to the community in and around the forests but should also be created outside the forests, he added. Appreciating the efforts of entire forestry fraternity in India, including people growing trees on land outside the forests for increasing the forest cover, he emphasised the need for concerted and consolidated efforts by all for enhancing the quality and productivity of the forests. He advocated confluence of the traditional knowledge and science, evolving a workable framework and educating the people to overcome related issues.
Speaking on the occasion, the ICFRE director general SC Gairola presented an overview of the efforts and resources of the ICFRE for promoting forestry research, education and extension in tackling theproblems afflicting the forests. He also urged all those connected with forestry to introspect about the course of the journey and take stock of challenges lying ahead, in spite of numerous scientific and technological advances made in forestry.
MoEFCC ADG Saibal Dasgupta, Forest Survey of India director general Subhash Ashutosh, and FRI director Arjun Singh Rawat were also among those present on the occasion.
