TREE CLEARANCE – PROBLEMS POSED
The recent setting-in of urbanization in the otherwise rural areas has caused a lot of problems, mainly due to tree clearance on a large scale, which are often involved in the process. Not only the environmental ones, but also the economic, since the increase in the cost of papers and other green products come with tree clearance. Off late, the Indian market has seen a significant rise in the cost of green and wooden products like paper, furniture, etc. Though recycled papers and synthetic timber products have met the need of the growing population to a certain extent, there remains a huge difference between the qualities of the two.
Much has already been said and published about the environmental problems due to increasing tree clearance. There has been passed a number of environmental laws and Acts by both the central and the state governments to this effect, but that has hardly served as a deterrent to the anarchists. The ultimate sufferer is the middle-class Indian. India, being a rapidly growing economy, puts more pressure on tree clearance. This is quite ironical now, since India is known as the land of the Chipko Movement. Strict steps should be taken so that trees are cleared in a controlled manner, which do not cause any further harm both to the environment and to the economy of the country.