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 Forests are the very basis of our survival as they maintain the proper balance of organism, chemicals in the environment by producing or absorbing them and preventing soil erosion, floods and droughts. Deforestation breaks the delicate environmental balance, which is maintained by nature itself. The myth propagated is that our forests are disappearing because tribals use them for firewood. True, but the forest dwellers do not cut down vast quantities of trees for this purpose. Rather they worship trees, as it provides them sustenance. The fact is that wood is required for myriad purposes in our industries for construction, in paper industries, and for furnishing and decorating our homes. And so today we loose approximately twenty million hectares of forests a year. This is not the handiwork of
tribals, but of commercial loggers. Another group responsible are those that mine for minerals. Very often rich mineral deposits are located under virgin forests and so to get at them large tracts of forests are cleared for mining purposes. Due to heavy rainfall which otherwise directly lashes the earth, the thin layer of rich topsoil rapidly washes away as it happened in the Kumaon-Gharwal region of the Himalayas where, thanks to greed of forest contractors helped by forest officers and local politicians, large tracts of forest trees caused soil erosion and ecological imbalance.
Another major cause of deforestation are the various development projects undertaken by the successive governments for 'welfare' of the people - the most famous being the Sardar Sarovar Dam. This project is stated to inundate vast tracts of forest land in Gujarat, thus destroying the ecological balance of the region. This loss of trees will mean displacement of
tribals, the end of various species of flora and fauna and loss of topsoil that has taken millions of years to form. It will also mean more pollution of water and air. The erosion progressing along the treeless banks of the great rivers leads to ravine formation, and vast stretches of undulating wasteland deprives the adjoining fields of their fertility. The invasion of sea lands on coastal tracts, and the shifting of sand dune, are particularly seen in the desert of
Rajasthan.
Trees - what they mean
 The need for establishing tree lands, wherever possible for the amelioration of physical and climatic conditions, is a must for the general well being of the people.- The need for ensuring progressively increasing supplies of small wood for agricultural implements, and in particular of firewood to release the cattle dung for manure to step up food production.
- The need for sustained supply of timber and other forest produce required for
defence, communications and industry.
- The need for the realisation of maximum annual revenue in perpetuity consistent with the fulfilment of the needs enumerated.
Policies adopted
It was emphasised in the policy of 1952 to expand tree cover in lands owned by government and public as well as by private institutions. Tree cover should also be expanded in lands of villages owned either individually or collectively. Experts viewed owned that in order to attain hydrological and nutritional balance, plantation of about 2000 crores of trees were necessary for India. Rapid expansion of tree lands was considered much helpful in attaining the above mentioned goal. It was stated in the policy,
'Defence, Railways, Public Works Department Universities Collges, Boards Municipalities other local authorities, associations and institutions can lend a helping hand by converting the lands at their disposal into tree lands. Tree-consciousness amongst the mass can alone pave the way for expanding public and private lands. Agriculturists were to be induced to plant trees in their wastelands and in the common land. The practice of planting of few trees in the cultivated land was considered desirable. But the policymakers failed to suggest for the adoption of agroforestry to attain the objective.
 Numerous outstanding changes occurred in the Indian economy between 1952 and 1988. Rapid growth of the Indian population had been the cause of huge additional requirements of food, fruit fuel, wood, fodder,
fibre, timber, and other products of forestry. The problems of energy requirements has became formidable in the country and we have to augment rapidly the production and supply of
fuelwood. Thus the formulation of the second National Forest Policy became imperative to accelerate the tempo of development in the forestry sector, so that equilibrium may be attained between demand and supply of forest produces at the earliest.
Uncontrolled disafforestation had affected adversely the development of natural and social forestry. Hence it was recommended that disafforestation must be allowed after obtaining legal sanction of the commission to check the depletion and degradation of forest areas.
Courtesy: Rawat Publications - New Delhi
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