Yes, Prashant ji. It is a sensitive and also a serious environmental issue. Thanks Ritesh for opening up this discussion. I think, proper awareness programs, education and provision of necessary facilities to the locals living in the forests/hills, may show some positive results. We can not change the age-old practice by stringent rules and forces. Indian Govt. and the FD have proposed some healthy policies where the livelihood of the forest dwellers is protected while ensuring sustainable utilization and conservation of forest resources. The politicians from the region should visit these areas and ensure that their promises are reaching the people living on these biodiversity rich hilly forests.
Regards Vijayasankar Raman National Center for Natural Products Research University of Mississippi On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 10:59 AM, Prashant Awale <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes, Its an eye opening picture. Thanks Ritesh ji for sharing this. > But as Pankaj ji had mentioned, its a matter of livelihood and survival > and for Locals, thats what matters. > Regards > Prashant > > > On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 2:08 PM, prasad dash <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Thanks a lot Ritesh Ji for the very important and conservation dependent >> display of a very very special group of plant. I do believe that flora >> picture should not be a special flower or great image. Your post is unique >> and very very important in terms of creating debate in the group on >> conservation and sustainable use of resources. I would like to >> thank you specially for this effort. I am sure we all should try to address >> these issues in the respective field areas of each one which is a >> key challenge in the era of forest degradation and deforestation due to >> unsustainable harvesting and unplanned developmental activities. >> >> Regards >> >> Prasad >> >> >> On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 7:14 AM, Ritesh Kumar Choudhary < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Dear Tanay Ji, Pankaj, Gurucharan sir, Dinesh sir, Garg sir, Balkar >>> sir, Sandhya ma'm, Aarti ma'm and Usha di, >>> >>> Very happy to hear from you all. >>> >>> I am happy because I conveyed my message correctly to the group. >>> Thanks a lot for your likings and thought provoking comments. >>> >>> @Pankaj: Sad to know about the railway track incidence. I also heard >>> about one such incidence in Arunachal where in the name of plantation >>> a big area of the natural forest was cleared. Thankfully, govt. has >>> declared a big part of Arunachal as 'protected' which has curbed the >>> destruction at considerable extent. But...sadly they are not yet able >>> to find out a good solution for Jhum-Cultivation. >>> >>> @Sandhya ma'm: Thanks for your words ma'm! Though never been to Kerala >>> but had a very good image in my mind. Sad to know that such practices >>> are prevalent there too. >>> >>> @Usha di: Thanks for sharing your thoughts di! Corruption is not only >>> political but also in each individual. But what I feel (in Arunachal >>> at least), Slash and Burn cultivation is not a result of mental >>> corruption.......rather mostly because of unawareness. Local >>> communities are very very innocent and true at heart. Infact they >>> don't have any other means to earn their livelihood. >>> >>> Unfortunately, despite of contiiiiinuous efforts.....scientific >>> communities have not come up with a befitting alternate till date. >>> >>> Anyway...Accept finite disappointments but never lose infinite >>> hope....as Martin Luthar says.. >>> >>> Regards, >>> Ritesh. >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Prasad Kumar Dash >> Ecologist, Orissa, India >> email: [email protected] >> ph. 09437444241 >> > >
