Himachal: Still A Hill Queen? Ah, Come on! Go Green

If someone plans to visit Shimla or any other part of Himachal Pradesh, then obviously it’s to get some sort of refuge from the busy day-to-day life chocked with cacophony emanating from the concrete and machine jungle that we ourselves have grown around us. A tourist would certainly visit a hill station to rub shoulder with the pristine beauty of nature. However, how he would react could easily be imagined on finding nothing else except - jam-packed traffic, denuded hill-slopes and the same imbroglio of big metros? If this is what a tourist would be served, then what for he would come here, after all? However, a person would be lucky enough if he somehow manages to catch a glimpse of such pristine dream beauty, that’s fast becoming a far-fetched dream, away from the reality and the State of Himachal Pradesh is no exception despite winning this year’s ‘Diamond State’ award. With green cover, in reality, receding very fast and thus leaving the hill-slopes denuded altogether to curse the policy makers who seems to have turned blind eye to the fact that the state which had once distinction of being a Mecca of tourism, health-station and an abode of peace is utterly in shambles as far as the issue of conserving nature is concerned.

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Every summer season, brings a tragic trial of holocaust for the jungles in the region with many land mafias and local people, intentionally setting jungles ablaze merely for their petty interests.

Every year on the eve of ‘Forest Day’, huge statements are aired and generally followed by planting of hundreds of saplings amid flashes of cameras. However, at the other end, forest mafia constantly keeps foraying into this ecologically sensitive region of Himachal Pradesh; quite possibly with the tacit consent of some of our representatives. If at one end, hundred trees are planted, simultaneously at the other end many hundreds are hewed. Every summer season, brings a tragic trial of holocaust for the jungles in the region with many land mafias and local people, intentionally setting jungles ablaze merely for their petty interests. However, what makes it more tragic and pitiable is the fact that departments that are supposed to save our forests and rare species [that are bound to extinct if the same continues] merely seems to have gone into deep reverie and thus affirming the fact that they are simply a burden on State’s Exchequer that is replenished by the sweat of hard-working people of the State. Despite tall claims of Forest Department, everything seems to have gone down the hill with 5575 hectares of forest area singed in the forest fires and thus costing around 59.6 lacks in over 480 incidents so far, as per a news report. No doubt, carving out policies and projecting them before the people is important in a democratic society. However, equally important; rather more important is the proper implementation of those policies, which seems to be trampling beneath political rivalry, nepotism and particularly under the juggernaut called Red-tapism.

Here it’s quite important to mention that responsibility of preserving our ecologically sensitive region can’t explicitly be laid on the shoulders of our stubborn representatives who seem to have lost into the labyrinth of political circles. Therefore, a common man will have to discern his responsibilities towards this mother earth and our nation as well. Always we shout for our rights but often forget that fundamental duties have entrusted us with many important jobs. One of which states: It’s the duty of every citizen to preserve our environment and its natural resources; otherwise this slumbering won’t take long turning into a nightmare. Leaving all on our politicians can be fatal, and the today’s Himachal is the living example to that. Moreover, if our politicians or so-called representatives start introspecting the differences that lie between their claims and outcomes, rather than indulging in self-eulogizing, then they would be far nearer to the truth that, at least in the case of state’s environment, seems to have gone even bitterest! However, at last but not the least, one commendable thing that Himachal Pradesh Government has come up this year with is that - its providing free tree saplings through its Nurseries situated around the state; so why not roll up the sleeves and go out for planting more and more trees on the hills around you and Go Green!!!