< Previous | Contents | Next >
The utility of forests, their social relevance and climatic importance have been discussed in the preceding paras. The conservation of forest resources is imperative for our survival. Some of the steps which can go a long way in making forests healthy and sustainable are as under:
(i) Afforestation:There should be massive afforestation programmes with main emphasis being on the production of fuel-wood, timber, grasses, and small trees to cover up degraded and denuded lands.
(ii) Plantation of trees along the roads, railway lines, rivers, and canal banks, and along lakes and ponds.
(iii) Development of Green-belts in the urban areas and plantation of trees on community lands.
(iv) Plantation of community forests on Gram-Sabha lands.
(v) Villagers should be given loans at easy interest rates to revive degraded forest.
(vi) Encroachment of agriculture in forests should be made punishable.
(vii) The customary rights and concessions like grazing, collection of fuel-wood and fodder from forests by the local people should not be allowed to exceed the carrying capacity of the forests.
(viii) Rural population should be provided alternate sources of fuel-wood and wood-based products.
(ix) The development projects including mining and industrial activities should be so planned to cause minimum damage to forest ecosystems.
(x) Mining contracts should have an obligatory clause of reforestation when the process of mining is over.
(xi) Industries should adopt anti-pollution devices and must develop and compensate the forest loss by new plantation.
(xii) Tribal and local people should be directly involved in the protection, regeneration, and management of forests.
(xiii) Shifting cultivation should be gradually replaced by terraced farming and orchards development and silviculture.
(xiv) Scientific methods should be adopted to check and contain forest fires. There should be strict control in issuing license for the establishment of
industries in forest areas.
(xv) There should be more research on forestry in agricultural universities, for which facilities and funds should be provided by the Central and State governments. Forestry should be made an important part of the course structures in schools, colleges and universities.
(xvi) There should be arrangements to protect the forests from pests and diseases for w hich trimming and spraying of the trees should be a regular practice.
(xvii) There should be perfect co-ordination between the forest department and other departments of the government for effective and judicious utilisation of forests and their conservation.
(xviii) People should be encouraged to participate in the Van-Mahotsav and should be made aware about the Chipko Movement.
(xix) There is a need to change our outlook towards forests. A forest should not be treated as a perennial resource and a source of revenue only. The planning and conservation of forests is not only the duty of the government, but also all the citizens of the country.
(xx) There should be special audio-visual programmes, demonstrations, seminars and workshops to develop awareness among the people about the social relevance of forests.
The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) was created in 1987 under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The following forestry research institutes are working under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and education:
(i) Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun.
(ii) The Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur.
(iii) The Institute of Rain and Moist Deciduous Forests, Jorhat.
(iv) The Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore.
(v) The Tropical Forestry Research Institute, Jabalpur.
(vi) The Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore.
(vii) The Temperate Forest Research Centre, Shimla.
(viii) The Centre for Forest Productivity, Ranchi.
(ix) The Centre for Social Forestry and Environment, Allahabad.