The 51st Earth Day: Its Importance for Northeast India

 

By Andre Kongri 

SHILLONG:

The world observes Earth Day on April 22 to show support for environmental protection and to remind us how important our planet is.

First held on April 22, 1970, this is the 51st year of celebration and of spreading awareness. It is of particular interest to northeast India due to its rich flora and fauna and though the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us from observing it in public, the day serves as a reminder of all the environmental crises the region has been facing.

Concerns including deforestation, jhum cultivation (or slash and burn agriculture), mining activities, poaching and a general lack of awareness has plagued the region in recent years.

Awareness Attempts

The Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), India, in collaboration with Green Hub, will celebrate the lush green forests of northeast India through a special online short film screening centring on the Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary, Dampa Tiger Reserve and Balpakram National Park, as part of the Earth Day celebrations.

The Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary in Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, is the only large tract of pristine forest left in both the east and west Jaintia hills districts and the eastern part of Meghalaya.

The sanctuary has some of the tallest evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of Meghalaya. It is also home to species such as the Hoolock Gibbon, Serow, Slow Loris, Pied Hornbill and leopard among others.

The favourable climate with rich vegetation houses a wide variety of wild and endangered flora and fauna, with the sanctuary being a home to rich biodiversity and abundance of wildlife.

Though the forest staff in Meghalaya are doing everything in their power to protect the sanctuary, coal and limestone mining have ravaged the rich, dense forest tracts with rivers running blue and many aquatic species dying.

Poaching is another issue that threatens this heavenly abode, and similar wildlife sanctuaries and reserves suffer the same ordeal in every part of the region.

“Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary is a place where you can see the treasure trove of nature. All sanctuaries are. But we need to remember that declaring a place as a sanctuary is not enough. It is not enough to declare something a sanctuary on paper. What is being done to conserve biodiversity? Nature is irreplaceable. Millions of dollars cannot recreate nature’s wealth,” said environmentalist Naba Bhattacharjee.

“Before we start cleaning rivers, we have to clean our minds.”

Issues and Concerns

“I guess it doesn’t make any more sense to have Earth Day as it has become just a symbolic day. Every single day should be Earth Day. Now, it’s just about going around and putting up pictures,” said Nicholas J Kharnami aka RJ Nicky J of Radio Mirchi (91.1 FM).

“Every day should be Earth Day. In that way, you’ll make more sense of your life and your value towards Mother Earth. As soon as we wake up to the moment we sleep, we must think of the environment. For example, how much water do we use when we wake up in the morning and brush our teeth? How much energy do we consume? How many of us say no to plastic?,” he added.

Talking of northeast India, many efforts have taken place to curb the growing illegal trade of endangered species.

In Meghalaya for instance, many cases have been unearthed in recent times concerning the illegal trade of pangolin scales – believed to be a recipe for indigenous medicine. The state’s forests and environment minister James P.K Sangma has made extensive efforts to restrict such illegal activities and crack down on the ones involved in the same.

“Although there is a designated Earth Day, all of us should constantly consider every day as Earth Day. The situation we find ourselves in right now is because Mother Earth is in a precarious situation,” Sangma said.

Today the world is once again facing an acute health crisis and as we continue the fight against COVID-19, perhaps it may be a reminder that it is time to move forward and change our outlook towards how we treat the environment.

There are only two ways to go about it ultimately – Extract resources out of the environment in an exploitative manner such that we live fulfil short-term needs but live only long enough to face our doomsday, or we adopt sustainable efforts of conservation in a mutually beneficial manner if we are to save this planet from the various looming crises.

(Edited by Anirban Paul)

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