The final report emanating from the mapping of the country’s bio-diversity under the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (N.B.S.A.P) was released by Kalpavriksh, the N.G.O entrusted with the task, even as the environment and forests ministry termed it “scientifically invalid”.             
            “The environment ministry has gone back on its word to make this report an official document for a National Action Plan”, Kalpavriksh chief, Ashish Kothari said, while releasing the report here yesterday. “This is the outcome of a four-year process. And the report was submitted in 2003 with the understanding that it would be an official document.”           
            Kalpavriksh, in consultation with the technical and policy core group (T.P.C.G.) set up initially, decided to make the report public for three primary reasons, Mr. Kothari said. Firstly, it would allow the public easier access to the information, analysis and recommendations contained therein without further delay. Secondly, this move was aimed at providing public access to the 100-odd other documents produced in the N.B.S.P. process. Finally, it is aimed at enabling the public to compare the final action plan as and when brought out by the ministry of environment and forests with this final technical report.              
           In a scathing comment, Mr. Shekhar Singh of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information, who is a member of the Steering Committee set up by the ministry as part of the N.B.S.A.P exercise, said: “It wasn’t so much the content but the whole mentality of the ministry that has changed, as they did not approve of the participatory process followed”.                                                         
           The ministry had conveyed to Kalpavriksh early this year that it was “not comfortable with some parts” of the report but no specific list was made available. In March the ministry also wrote to Kalpavriksh “not published or in any form make publicly available” the report submitted in December 2003.                   
          In its reaction to the report, the M.O.E.F. today said the “Consultant’s report” submitted by Kalpavriksh had been reviewed by a group of scientists appointed by the ministry. “They have concluded that the report is for the major part scientifically invalid. Hence the ministry has rejected the report and has started the process of developing the National Biodiversity Action Plan afresh,” it said in a communiqué.
           Mr. Kothari said that the government was also in technical violation of the U.N.D.P. agreement as an Action Plan had to be brought out at the end of the process, which in this case ended in 2003. Moreover, India is committed under the Convention of Bio-diversity (C.B.D) to come out with a document by 2006.
The Statesman (Kolkata), 09 Oct. 2005

 SC Clamps Down on Mining in Forests, Says no Temporary Permits
G. Ananthakrishnan

Act, 1980, no Temporary Working Permit or any other permission by whatever name shall be granted for mining activities in national parks, sanctuaries and other forest area,” said a bench, headed by Justice Y.K. Sabharwal. The bench made it clear that no mining activity would continue under any T.W.P of permission which may have been granted.                                                        
             The court was hearing applications filed by senior counsel Harish Salve, alleging that its directions were being misused and working permits granted to some parties were being extended. In December 1996, the apex court had clamped down on mining in forest areas, making Central Government approval mandatory for carrying out non-forest activity, including mining. However, in October 1997, the court allowed a relaxation following repeated pleas by miners. A division bench asked the Centre to dispose of all applications seeking F.C. Act clearance within six weeks of receipt. If final clearance was delayed, the Centre may consider allowing temporary working permission, it said.                                          
            But following allegations of misuse, the court asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests this August to file an affidavit on T.W.Ps granted in the last two years.  The affidavit filed by Anurag Bajpai, Assistant Inspector General of Forests, showed that 21 T.W.Ps were granted between January 2003 and December 2004 for mining in national parks, sanctuaries and forest areas. This included three in Andhra Pradesh, four in Karnataka, 10 in Orissa and one each in Chhattisgarh, Himachal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan.              
           It added that the permits were granted only in cases of renewal of leases where mining was permitted before 1980, the date of enactment of the Forest (Conservation) Act. Taking serious note of the affidavit, the bench said the permits were granted “despite the order passed by this court restraining the mining activities in these areas.”
Indian Express (New Delhi), 06 Oct. 2005

Orissa Forest Trees Face Axe – and It’s Official

The government has asked its officials to allow the cutting of old forest trees with a circumference of four to seven feet, lifting a 15-year moratorium, according to the Wildlife Society of Orissa.             
           The state has 40 forest divisions and officials have been asked to fell green timber and bamboo in 14 of them, mostly in western and central Orissa in the first phase. The decision, the N.G.O. has learnt, would be later extended to other divisions.                                                            
         This will not only adversely affect wildlife but also demoralize thousands of local forest protection committees that had been protecting the woods for the last 10-20 years, it said. But the government claims this would not harm the wildlife or the environment.                                     
        “We will cut only select deteriorated trees. It will help in natural regeneration,” Vinod Kumar, special secretary of the state forest department, told IANS.                                                
         However, the Wild Life Society alleged that the forest divisions where such operations would be carried out were home to a variety of wildlife, including tigers, elephants, sambars, barking deer, chowsingha, leopards, bears and pangolins.        
       The areas include Ghumsur North, Ghumsur South, Bamra, Deogarh, Baripada, Balasore, Karanjia, Rairangpur, Nabarangpur, Bonei, Kalahandi North, Kalahandi South, Boudh and Dhenkanal.    The Baripada and Karanjia forests are critical for the survival of tigers and they are also adjacent to the Simlipal Tiger Reserve.                                           
         Similarly, the Kalahandi forest is a known tiger habitat, the N.G.O’s secretary, Biswajit Mohanty, told I.A.N.S. Elephants from Satkosia use the Dhenkanal forests as a corridor for migration to the Keonjhar forests and the loss of such forests would cut off their movement.  Both the tiger and elephant populations in Orissa have declined, he said.He alleged that the government had fallen prey to the machinations of timber traders who see a rich opportunity to decimate the surviving dense forests of the state.  The latest survey report of the Forest Survey of India has revealed that Orissa lost 472 sq. km. of forest area during 2001-2002. The state had a total of 48,366 sq. km. of forests in 2003, including 28,170 sq. km. of dense forests.    Similarly, the state lost 34 sq. km. of dense mangroves during 2001-2002 as per the F.S.I report of 2003.                         
           The government’s record of carrying out tree plantation has been dismal, Mohanty said. Since 2002, Orissa has spent a mere 3.46% of the 10th Plan funds on forestry and wildlife.  More than 10 million tribals in Orissa directly depend upon forests as a source of non-timber forest produce (N.T.F.P) for sustenance.
The Himachal Times (Dehradun), 16 Oct. 2005

50 P.C. Forests Lost: Report

The final technical report of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (N.B.S.A.P) has said that India has lost over half of its forest cover, 40% of its mangroves, and a significant part of its wetlands in the past couple of centuries.   
           The report “Securing India’s Future: The Final Technical Report of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan” released here on Tuesday, was originally supposed to have been an official report of the Union Environment and Forests Ministry. It was made public as a citizen’s report since the Ministry had failed to act on it for almost two years. At least 40 species of plants and animals have become extinct, including the cheetah and the pink-headed duck, while several hundred more are under the threat of extinction, it said, adding that much of the diversity crops and livestock had been lost or were under threat. All 18 of india’s poultry breeds were also under threat, it added.                          
          Citing habitat destruction, hunting and over-exploitation as the immediate causes of biodiversity loss, the report said that behind these factors were an unsustainable and insensitive model of ‘development,’ break-down of traditional management practices and institutions, centralization of decision-making powers in the government, serious social and economic equities, changes in moral and cultural values and lack of recognition of the full value of biodiversity in economic planning. The scenario was worsened by globalisation, it said.          
          “The focus of all planning and decision-making in India should be to achieve the twin objectives of ecological security and livelihood security, particularly of the most under-privileged sections of society,” it pointed out.                
          Further, it drew the attention of the Government towards the necessity of ensuring that decisions on genetically engineered or modified organisms were evaluated taking into account long-term ecological and socio-economic studies by independent agencies, ensuring the participation of key stakeholders in decision-making and disclosure of information generated in evaluating bio-safety.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 05 Oct. 2005

Forest Encroachment Unabated in Idukki, Says Panel Report
 P. Venugopal

Land grabbing by ‘the rich, the powerful and the influential’ is continuing unabated in the Cardamom Hill Reserves (C.H.R) of Idukki district in Keral, according to a recent report of the Central Empowered Committee (C.E.C) of the Supreme Court.                                               
           The C.E.C. submitted its report to the Supreme Court last month acting on an application field before it by an environmental group called ‘One Earth One Life’ seeking the court’s intervention in preventing large-scale encroachment of forests in the C.H.R. with the support of bureaucrats and political establishment. The 30-page report covers the evidence collected during five sitting and a field visit by the members of the C.E.C. last year. The Kerala Government, having received a copy of the report last week, was studying its implications, a top forest official told the The Hindu.                        
          During their probe, the C.E.C. members came across a staggering number of cases involving “illegal assignment of lands and grant of title deeds.... and consequent deforestation” in the C.H.R., which is legally ‘reserved forests’.                                               
          “This is causing irretrievable and immense loss to the dense evergreen forest holding rich biodiversity on steep slopes and destroying the watersheds, water catchments and streams and rivers that flow through the forest,” the report says.      
          The State had earlier regularised pre-1977 encroachments in 20,363 hectares of C.H.R. area after getting the mandatory approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The State had received the approval on the condition that all post-1977 encroachments would be removed and no further encroachments allowed.  However, the Revenue Department issued 26,637 title deeds covering an area of 9,367 hectares subsequently, according to the C.E.C. report.                                            
         The C.E.C. report refers to a report sent to the Idukki District Collector by the Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), Rajan K. Madhekar, on April 1, 2004. According to it, “there is information that large-scale encroachment of revenue/forest land and issue of forged title deeds are going on in Idukki district... with the support of the Revenue officials concerned.”
The Hindu (New Delhi), 06 Oct. 2005

C.A.G. Slams Illegal Felling of Trees
 Utpal Parashar

Despite a ban on exploitation of forest produce and an established security system in place, it seems illegal felling of trees has been going on for years in Uttaranchal’s Rajaji National Park.            
          According to the latest C.A.G. report placed recently in Vidhan Sabha, 884 trees of different species valued at Rs. 41.37 lakhs have been illicitly felled inside the park area between 2001 and 2004.            
          Scrutiny of records till July last year revealed that out of the trees felled illegally, forest officials managed to seize timber worth Rs. 6.62 lakhs only while the rest was transported out of the park causing loss of Rs. 34.75 lakhs to the government.                                      
       “Timely action to check the illicit felling and transportation of timber or to report the matter to the departmental authorities was not taken as required under the forest manual,” the report stated.            
          When questioned about the lapse, the forest department maintained that action is taken as per rules against officials responsible for illicit felling of trees in their respective ranges from time to time.       “It was however noticed that no action had been initiated against the officials responsible for these lapses or for recovering the loss caused to the government,” the report held. The matter was reported to the government in July 2004, but the C.A.G. received no reply till April this year.                                          
          The forest manual stipulates that forest guards and other subordinate forest officials will report to the officer-in-charge of the range any offence under the Forest Act.
Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 19 Oct. 2005

Forest Law Truce Eludes Delhi

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today tried to evolve a consensus between supporters of the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005, and those who have been bitterly opposing it.             However, no settlement was in sight till late at night and another meeting has been convened on October 21. Singh this evening summoned officials of the environment and forests ministry and the ministry of tribal affairs, along with Aruna Roy of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, economist Jean Dreze, wildlife activist Valmik Thapar and conservationist Ullhas Karanth for talks.            
           “The purpose of the meeting was to thrash out differences over the bill,” said a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office. There are reports of a cabinet sub-committee having already asked the environment ministry to redraft the bill, though the government refused to confirm this.                                                  However, the P.M.O. spokesperson said the government hopes to introduce the Bill in the winter session of Parliament. The differences over the bill, strongly voiced at today’s meeting, are obviously too sharp to be resolved till then. The environment ministry is leading the side that has huge reservation about the bill, while Thapar urged the ministry to be more strident, warning that India would lose as much as 60% of its forest cover if the bill is passed. The Left, on the other hand, has welcomed it along with activists like Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze who have articulated their strong support for the Bill.                                          
           The bill is the first comprehensive legislation that addresses the long-standing tribal demand for greater rights over forests. Among the more contentious provisions are:                                  
· Regularization of forestland occupied by tribals before 1980 up to 2.5 hectares.      
· Nistar (usufruct) ownership rights to forest resources.                                    
· Grazing rights, including seasonal rights of nomads.                                                      
· Habitation rights for primitive tribal groups.                                                        
· Conversion of forest villages into revenue villages.
The Telegraph (Kolkata), 01 Oct. 2005

The Forest and its Folk
 Himraj Dang

The government, in its wisdom, is finally working out a compromise to help reconcile the twin interests of forests and forest-dwelling people. Finally, the competent ministry for forestry legislation – the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) – has drafted a “Forest Rights (Recognition and Vesting) Bill,” which has been circulated among the agencies of the government. And what an improvement it is!             
           This MoEF – sponsored Bill sets up the process of recognizing and vesting the legitimate rights of forest dwellers and forest-dependent communities. These rights are now offered to all forest-dwelling communities, and include rights to land and minor forest produce. There is no limitation by size of land-holding. The cutoff of 1980, when the Forest Conservation Act was passed, is maintained, without scope for future (politically motivated) entitlements.                   
         There is no ambiguity or dilution of the sole responsibility of the state forest departments (FDs) in continuing the custodial care of the country’s forests. Local communities may adopt their own laws for conservation if they wish, but this is not obliged on them by conferring rights to their own lands! Duplication of responsibility between local communities and the FDs is avoided. A new system of fines is avoided when this is already articulated by the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The FDs and forest communities are encouraged to expand Joint Forest Management, which has now been adopted by 28 states, and comprises 99,000 Joint Forest Management Committees for 75,000 forest-fringe villages.                                   
          In fact, the new Bill is a necessary and due successor to the Forest Conservation Act, since various state governments and their revenue departments did not go through with comprehensive forest settlement. Where there was political will, progress was made in forest settlement. Legal rights to 3.67 lakh ha. of forestlands in 8 states was granted. About 510 forest villages (out of 2,690) were converted into revenue villages in four states. However, the process, managed by revenue and not forest officials, was tardy and not uniform. The new Bill takes forest legislation further by setting in motion the conclusion of a one-time, historical process of settlement of rights.                                                
          Traditional forest-dwellers and encroachers are currently in possession of 13,433 sqkm of forestland, or 1.4% of the country’s forest area (records upto March 2004). It is not clear how much would predate the 1980 cutoff, and what the split between the two categories of possession is. But to understand the scale of the land settlement envisioned by this Bill, if even 20% of this land was eventually settled, valuing the biodiversity benefit foregone at Rs. 7.5 lakh/ha. (the average N.P.V. of benefit from forest land, as per the recent Supreme Court judgement in the Godavarman case), this would amount to a whopping Rs. 20,000 Crore! The sums involved, the irreversibility of environmental change, the vulnerability of the people involved, the intangible benefits of forestland all this requires, we respect the complexity for this process, and establish the lawfulness of the task at hand.                                                                      
           This is a task that ideally should be beyond ideology and rhetoric, frankly recognizing the successes and failures of our tribal, forest, and wildlife management. Future generations won’t forgive us if we fail to take this opportunity to craft a viable compromise. By means of this Bill, tribal and non-tribal forest dwellers with legitimate rights existing before 1980, ascertainable by their own Village, Block and District-level Committees, will gain heritable rights to their lands. Communities will also gain access to harvest Minor Forest Produce (M.F.P), while following approved forest working plans. Encroachers and settlers after 1980 would be resettled outside forest areas. Here the Centre can pitch in to help states with resettlement schemes that provide succour while not encouraging further encroachment on diminishing forestlands.     The forest area left after this process would be more or less inviolate, and Protected Areas are in any case carved out of this process. The land grab which environmentalists feared is avoided, justice to genuine claimants for land and minor forest produce rights is ensured, and inter-community discrimination avoided. The new and improved Bill will neither split forest communities or conservation and welfare advocates, nor is it likely to attract legal censure. Being drafted by the MoEF, since it concerns forests and all forest communities (not just tribals), it is in conformity with existing laws and initiatives of the MoEF.                                    
           Those who care about the future of Indian forests should support the new Bill, and the belated but sincere initiative of the Government to reconcile conflicting interests. For those who are concerned with the welfare of forest-dwelling or remote communities, I still maintain, this initiative isn’t enough, that livelihood is more important than entitlement to marginal land. Many forest-dwellers would be willing to resettle outside forest locations if it brought them prosperity. This would avoid the fragmentation of forests, while offering development to those in remote locations. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and NGOs could take a lead in ensuring that resettlement would be voluntary, generous and participatory (as at Bhadra, Melghat, KunoPalpur, Panna, Kanha, Nagarhole, Corbett, and Chilla).                      
         The MoEF Bill, brought out in conformity with existing forest and wildlife laws and processes, aims to harmonize the state’s duties to protect forests and secure justice for its forest-dwelling people. If the proponents of tribal and forest-community welfare, and the administrators and politicians in the states which have been backing the previous legislation, are sincere, India can secure forest and forest-dweller interests alike by means of this new Bill.
Indian Express (New Delhi), 18 Oct. 2005

Bamboo is India’s ‘Green Gold’
 Lola Nayar

It is expected to create eight million jobs, lift five million families out of poverty and earn $3.6 billion by 2007. Little wonder then that the humble bamboo is called ‘green gold’ in India the country that has the second-largest reserve of bamboo in the world.India is looking to not only develop a bamboo-based economy in the country but also tap the growing global demand for bamboo. As against an estimated demand for 26.9 million tons of bamboo, India is currently able to supply only 13.47 million tons.                                    
         The country today exploits just a tenth of its bamboo-producing potential. The commercial consumption of bamboo globally is worth around $10 billion, which is expected to reach $20 billion by 2015. India’s share in the global market is estimated to be $ 1 billion and is expected to increase to $5.7 billion by 2015. China’s share in the world bamboo market is currently the highest at $5 billion.            
        “There is a growing realization that the potential of bamboo in the country has not been tapped to its fullest. Bamboo is being rediscovered in India as its attributes and potential are increasingly recongnised,” said Prodipto Ghosh, secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forests.                                       
        According to the Forest Survey of India report about 12.8% of total forest area is under bamboo cultivation, with the northeast region accounting for 66% of the country’s bamboo resources in terms of value and 28% in terms of area.               
         The government is in the final stages of finalizing a $115 million project for implementation over the next few years to promote bamboo cultivation and trade through a National Mission on Bamboo Trade and Technology Development.                                            
         Agriculture scientists have so far identified around a dozen varieties of high-value commercial bamboo for cultivation by farmers that could be used as an alternative to wood for construction, furniture making and even weaving cloth using bamboo fibres.                                           
         In fact, bamboo fibre clothes and saris are fast catching the fancy in some parts of the country. Efforts are also on to promote cultivation of edible bamboo varieties. Outside of northeast, efforts are also on to promote awareness of bamboo shoots as a food delicacy. To make bamboo cultivation more attractive for farmers the agriculture ministry has been pressing the government for declaring it a horticulture crop.           
         Once India makes it attractive for farmers to grow bamboo as a cash crop and sets up the infrastructure to tap its commercial potential through value addition, the country would be well placed to build upon its rich biodiversity of 136 bamboo species.                                                
        “It is only in the last few years that bamboo sector has been witnessing substantial growth in terms of awareness and uses, and bamboo’s wealth-generation potential,” said T.P. Subramony, resident manager of international Network for Bamboo and Rattan (I.N.B.A.R).                
         Headquartered in Beijing I.N.B.A.R is an inter-governmental organization with 30 members-countries, including India. Bamboo has traditionally been used for paper manufacture, scaffolding, construction material and handicrafts. Now there is more diversification such as bamboo flooring and paneiling, though only a few people are doing this work. Bamboo is also used for making incense sticks, foot rulers and matchsticks. The biggest growth is expected to come from use of bamboo as a replacement for wood. Bamboo housing is slowly growing in concept. While earlier bamboo houses were seen as a poor man’s dwelling, now bamboo is being seen as a modern material not just for construction.                                                  
         “By 2015, the Indian bamboo industry is estimated to grow into a $5.7 billion sector as against $574 million in 2000; a 10-fold increase provided all the factors are favourable and all stakeholders from fanners to community and policy makers support the efforts,” said Subramony.
The Himachal Times (Dehradun), 16 Oct. 2005

IIT Expert Advocates Wood & Bamboo Houses for Hilly Areas
 Jaskiran Chopra

It’s up to governments and people in hilly regions to build either deathtraps which collapse when earthquakes strike or homes that withstand natural calamities.  This was the suggestion put forth by D.K. Paul, head of department of earthquake engineering at Indian Institute of technology (IIT), Roorkee.                         
         The best and ideal construction material for buildings in hilly areas like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal were wood and bamboo, said Paul. “But at the same time, joints and corners of these houses need to be strengthened and their roofs tied to the walls,” he says.                                       
         Paul was talking to TOI after returning from Jammu & Kashmir, where IIT members as part of a Central team had gone to assess the damage caused by last week’s deadly earthquake.                              
         Paul said government urgently needed to formulate a policy to enable hilly areas to grow abundant fast-growing trees so that their wood could be used in construction of homes.                          
        “We are self-sufficient in food-grains. Why can’t we now grow trees on barren hills on a large scale?” he asked. “If we want to use wood in rebuilding houses in Jammu & Kashmir, there isn’t enough available.”            In the North-East, the damage caused by calamities is far less as the houses are largely made of bamboo there. “The mindset must change,” said Paul. “Bamboo and wooden houses are safer, look good and are more comfortable.” Paul said IIT experts would hold special training programmes for P.W.D. engineers in Jammu & Kashmir from October 22 to 26. “The programmes will be held at Baramulla, Uri and Kupwara.”   The team of experts will comprise A.S. Arya, national seismic advisor, Paul himself and Pankaj Aggarwal.               
         At the workshops, the engineers would be informed about specific quake-resistant designs.  “For stone houses, one kind of design is required while for brick houses, the design is quite different.” He said quake-resistant designs could withstand tremors to an intensity of 6mm (modified mercalli).                              
          Up to 6mm intensity, only cracks would develop in the quake-resistant house. In 6-9mm, there would be some more damage whereas only during an intensity 9mm and above would the structure collapse, said Paul.            A particular type of design could be developed for rebuilding and entire village, he said. “Bhuj learnt its lesson and now J&K must make use of quake-resistant technology so that such a tragedy does not recur.” Paul said the IIT team had earlier trained the faculty at National Institute of Technology, Srinagar.
The Times of India (New Delhi), 19 Oct. 2005

Green Buck of Hill Economy
 Rajshekhar Pant

How about spending a weekend in Uttaranchal in a plush guesthouse made of bamboo-reeds? And on way back home buying as a souvenir a bamboo-fabric designed by Sushanto Mitra and endorsed in World Bamboo organization’s VII International Congress in Delhi by Milind Soman, the model turned actor?            Indeed, with all the efforts being put in by the state govt; bamboo may become a mainstay of economy for this state; “…in turn ameliorating the lot of those 38% of the families eking out a living below poverty line.” Says Rajshree, an NGO activist.                           
           Bamboo “provided like Sisal cantala (Agave), yet another natural fibre, which happened to be the buzz-word in all govt. seminars of the state till recently, is also not bogged down after initial hullabaloo, he added.”            The numerous enquiries that the recently constituted Uttaranchal Bamboo and Fibre Development Board is reported to have been receiving from both sides of the Atlantic; is a welcome development.       
          The state govt’s decision to bring 80,000 h.a. of land under bamboo plantation involving around 8000 families in the field of production substantially leading to better economic prospects and to develop sustainable raw material access for income generation and environmental protection “clearly highlights” the planners claim as having “the inherent potential in Uttaranchal to become a major bamboo exporting state.                          
         “Interestingly, with 139409.76h.a. of the forest land in the state reported to be already under at least 7 commercially viable species of Bamboo, the state is a zone of the richest in bamboo wealth. As per a statement of Pankaj Sah, the consultant of the board, “the forest department has also developed major nurseries in 250 of its ranges where high yielding bamboo is being developed.” It is to be noted here that the world market is presently getting just 20% of the total demand.                                           
         “China manufacturing over 8000 export quality items” as report the officials “earns $130 million from this modest plant.” With an eye on the potential, the state has already introduced 11,000 D. hamiltonii plantlets from T.A.M.B.A.C. and 460-kg of Melocanna baccifera seeds are also reported to have been imported besides establishing a design center with training facilities. Thailand is all set to make a buyback arrangement with the state advancing Rs. 309 crores for propagating the plantation.
Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 12 Oct. 2005

The New Economics of Ecological Capital
 John Vidal

Here is a conundrum, courtesy of Merv Wilkison, one of Canada’s oldest and wisest foresters. In 1938, he bought a few hectares of forest on Vancouver Island which, he reckoned, contained about 1,00,000 board feet of timber. Once every 10 years, he would harvest about 20% of it. So, he used to ask people who visited him, how much timber would he have left after 50 years?                         
          Most thought he would have nothing left at all, whereupon Mr. Wilkinson would show them his trees and say he had 1,20,000 board feet. How was this possible? Because, he said, he selected very carefully the trees he would fell in order to maximize the growth of others; and because quite simply, trees grow. The result of what Mr. Wilkinson called his “ecological forestry” was that he and his family prospered and his trees grew greatly in girth, height and value. In short, it was truly sustainable forestry, and Mr. Wilkinson – now in his 90s was ecologically wealthy.                                       
         Far more sophisticated calculations of “natural capital” and “ecological wealth” are being undertaken around the world, but they all, roughly, point in the same direction as Mr. Wilkinson. Academics, environmentalists, and international bodies, such as the United Nations Environment Programme (U.N.E.P), are accumulating an overwhelming body of evidence that makes the economic case for conservation over short-term exploitation.               
        Evidence of the real cost of environmental destruction is building. In the past few weeks, the European Union has said air pollution in Europe will cost up to $700 billion a year within 15 years if nothing is done; the World Bank has calculated that almost a fifth of the burden of all illnesses in developing countries is due to environmental factors, which are in turn preventing people getting out of poverty; and it looks likely that hurricane Katrina wreaked so much damage on Louisiana because the natural defences of the Mississippi had been progressively eroded by development and neglect. Instead of bearing the brunt of the storm surge, the levees of New Orleans were breached, at a cost of about $200 billion – not far off what the war in Iraq has cost the United States.                                                 
         This week, many of the world’s leading environmental economists have been meeting in London. Their message is that unless “natural capital” is factored into national accounts, poverty in both rich and poor countries will increase. Countries that fell their old forests for quick bucks, that dynamite their reefs for fish, or that contaminate their waterways with farm and factory run-off may seem to be getting richer, says the U.N.E.P, when, in reality, they are sliding into poverty because they are plundering their “natural capital” – a key pillar of medium – and long-term wealth.                                                
         “Traditional economic measures such as G.D.P are shortchanging current and future generations,” says Partha Dasgupta, a professor of economics at Cambridge University. “G.D.P. does inform us of something – namely, the scale of economic activity. Unfortunately, in recent years it has been converted into a welfare index. My complaint isn’t that G.D.P. is meaningless, but that it has been put to wrong use.” Prof. Dasgupta has studied the economies of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan and on the basis of their carbon emissions, timber and oil and natural gas, has found that every one of them has declined in wealth per capita since 1970. It is too early to tell with China, he says, but Africa, as a continent, has declined by 4.6%. “They are crude, incomplete figures,” he says, but he adds: “Poverty will only be made history when nature enters economic calculations in the same way that buildings, machines and roads do”.                        
         The new economics is turning up some extraordinary evidence. According to studies in the Peruvian Amazon by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S., for every 1% increase in deforestations, there has been an eight percent increase in the numbers of a particular malaria-carrying mosquito, which thrives in open, sunlit ponds and that runs wild once 30% to 40% of forest has been destroyed. Cutting trees down may have generated money, but so far no one has counted the cost of treating malaria or the value the forest has for stabilizing the climate, acting as a sink for air pollution, preventing floods, providing wild foods or medicines – all services provided, traditionally, for free. The new economic argument is that if these “services” are not valued properly, they are liable to be abused.                                    
          New work also suggests that deforestation in Indonesia in the late 1990s cost about $9 billion; and the annual tourism value of coral reefs in Hawaii can be anything between $1 million and $10 million a year. Studies from Algeria, Italy, Portugal, Syria, and Tunisia suggest that intact forests are worth far more than felled ones. Meanwhile, an intact wetland in Canada has been found to be worth $6,000 a hectare, compared with $2,000 a hectare for one cleared for intensive agriculture. Intact tropical mangroves – coastal ecosystems that are nurseries for fish, natural pollution filters, and coastal defences – are found to be worth around $1,000 a hectare. Cleared for shrimp farms, the value falls to around $200 a hectare.       In the past, says Klaus Toepfer, director of the U.N.E.P. based in Nairobi, “the environment has been viewed as something like a Hermes silk tie or a Gucci handbag – a luxury only affordable when all other issues have been resolved. Investments in the restoration of ecosystems are not only cost effective but have a high rate of return. We are all facing poverty”.                                      
Restoration rewards                                    
         Mr. Toepfer, a former German Environment Minister, says it is worth investing money in ecological restoration. In Tanzania, more than 800 villages have planted more than 3,50,000 hectares of woodland in an area that was severely deforested. The Government and the World Conservation Union has just calculated that the cash benefits of the restoration are worth about $14 a person each month. The villagers now get thatch, wild foods, medicinal plants, timber, and fuel wood.           
         The benefits of conserving nature are not just seen in poor countries. When the New York City Council had to supply safer drinking water for its 9 million customers, it looked at spending $6 billion on water filtration. By managing riverbanks, forests, agriculture, and other ecosystems to reduce pollution, it had to spend $1 billion. According to the World Resources Institute in Washington, every dollar invested in combating land degradation and desertification can generate $3 in economic benefit in developing countries, whereas every dollar spent on delivering clean water and sanitation is likely to return $14.                   
         Mr. Toepfer says: “There are encouraging examples of ecosystems being managed for the long term to create wealth for poor communities, but there is a huge job to do. Natural resources can be properly used to greatly reduce poverty. The time has come to reverse the course of worsening diseases, depleted natural resources, political instability, inequality, and the social corrosion of angry generations that have no means to rise out of poverty”.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 13 Oct. 2005

A Case for Saving Flora and Fauna from Extinction

Experts who assessed the health of grasslands in the country for the past three days here have asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to initiate a series of steps including formulation of a comprehensive policy on grasslands and setting up of advisory boards for grassland eco-systems at the State and Central levels to save many species of flora and fauna from extinction. There is a need to update information on grasslands carrying out a fresh countrywide survey, they said.                     
          The workshop, held in honour of David A. Ferguson, due to retire next month as the chief of the International Cooperation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for South Asia, South Africa and the Far East, in its “Jaipur Declaration on Grasslands” said there was an urgent need to augment the productivity of grasslands with active participation of the stakeholders.                                                          
          The recommendations, expressing concern over the foray of invasive species in various grasslands in the country said there should be a campaign to systematically eradicate these weeds. Potential and viable grasslands under Revenue Department, which are categorized as wastelands, should be brought under community reserve category. The issue of planting of trees that would change the character of grasslands should be decided at the local level, A.Ghose, Additional Principal Conservator Forests (Development) Rajasthan said presenting the recommendations. The participants, who included experts from U.S.F.W.S, Bombay Natural History Society, S.A.C.O.N, Coimbatore, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun besides senior forest officials and N.G.O representatives, felt that the fauna to be focused in the context of the grasslands are Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Bengal Florican. There should be an annual census of these birds.                                
         There was a need to set up a “Project Bustard” on the lines of “Project Tiger” and “Project Elephant”, the experts noted. The areas adjoining protected areas to create more habitats for grassland specific flora and fauna invoking the concept of community reserves and conservation reserves, they said. The workshop stressed on the need to conserve Sewan grass habitats in western Rajasthan and suggested special programmes for the eradication of Prosopis juliflora, an invasive species.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 01 Oct. 2005

Aromatic Plant with Multifarious Uses
 M.J. Prabu

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic plant, mainly cultivated for its oil that is used in perfumery, antiseptic, cosmetics and medicine.It is also used in aromatherapy. The leaves are used for preparing tea, which has a good flavour and aroma.Researchers have developed a new, disease-resistant rosemary variety named Rosemary-Ooty (R.M) 1, at the Horticultural Research Station (HRS) of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (T.N.A.U), Vijayanagaram, Udhagamandalam.                               
Higher yield                                                     
          The variety has recorded a yield of about 12 tonnes of green leaves per hectare, which is 46% higher than that of local varieties, according to M.Selvaraj, Head, HRS. He said the crop is mostly cultivated as an irrigated and rain-fed crop in higher elevations of 900 to 2500 metres above mean sea level. It is resistant to drought and frost conditions. In Tamil Nadu, rosemary cultivation is confined to the Nilgiris district and some parts of Kolli hills and Valparai regions.                           
Perennial herb                                         
          The plant is a perennial herb reaching a height of about 60 cm with long, cylindrical and inwardly folded leaves. The leaves are dark green, thick and leathery. It is found to grow well in loamy soil and can be propagated through cuttings of about 10-15 cm length. About 50,000 cuttings are required for planting in one hectare. Before planting, the cuttings should be treated with 10 percent cow pat pit (a biodynamic preparation) for 20 minutes to increase rooting,” Prof. Selvaraj said. About 50 tonnes of farmyard manure, one tonne of neem cake, two tones of vermicompost, 5 kg of Azospirillum and 5 kg of phosphobacterium should be mixed with the soil.                                                    
          The ideal time for planting is during June-July and September-October. The cuttings must be planted in rows with a distance of about 1.5 metres between them.  Weeding may be required a month after planting and then every two months.
Foliar application                                     
         Thirty days after planting foliar application of about 3 percent Panchakavya, (fermented mixture of cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd and ghee) 10% vermiwash must be sprayed five times at one month’s interval to promote growth. A second application of about 5 kg of Phosphobacterium and Azospirillum, and 10 kg of farmyard manure must be done as side dressing from the second year of planting. The crop is resistant to major pests and infestations and can be harvested in 215 days after planting. Three harvests at an interval of 3-4 months can be done in a year.                                                        
Good price                                        
          “About 12 tonnes of green leaves can be harvested from which 80-100 kgs of oil can be extracted,” he said. The green leaves are sold at Rs. 15-20 per kilo in the local market, according to him.                
         For more information readers may contacts the office of the Prof. and Head, Horticultural Research Station, Vijayanagaram, Udhagamandalam – 643 001, Phone: 0423-2442170, email: hrsooty@tnau.co.in
The Hindu (New Delhi), 27 Oct. 2005

Medicinal Plants Project Sanctioned
 Ambika Sharma

Aimed at raising the income of the rural masses, a Rs. 90 lakh project for the conservation and development of medicinal plants has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Rural Development to the Forest Development Agency (FDA) of Solan Forest division. The DFO-cum-CEO, FDA, Mr. Alok Nagar, said the project would enable the villagers to cultivate medicinal plants over an area of 250 hectares of forest land. The project has been sanctioned for a period of five years.                                         
           The project entails technology demonstration, extension and training to the villagers. A list of various medicinal plants suitable to the region has been prepared. Marketing of these herbs is a major area of concern. Efforts are afoot to identify herbal-based industries in the prime industrial areas of Baddi and Nalagarh in the district.                                    
            The work would be executed by 11 village forest development committees spread across Parwanoo, Dharampur, Solan, Subathu and Kandaghat ranges. The University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, and Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishva Vidhyalaya, Palampur, would be associated to the project.                                
          While the project promises generation of income to the villagers, the empowerment of the masses by participatory forest management programmes is its other feature, Mr. Nagar said. He said medicinal plant cultivation and collection of usufruct could be a major tool in attracting people towards sustainable forest management. The state’s population being inextricably linked to the forests, its medicinal plants are the basis of rural health traditions, both in respect of humans and cattle, he added.
The Tribune (Chandigarh), 14 Oct. 2005

Protecting Forests, Their Mission
 Paramvir Singh Bains

Nestled in the greens of Chail, Himachal Pradesh Forest Training School (HPFTS) has been producing the protectors of nature’s reserves – forest guards and rangers. With the formation of Himachal Pradesh, comprising 30 princely states, in 1948, a need was felt to impart training to the lower subordinate staff (below range officers) within the state. This led to the inauguration of the lower subordinate training school at Junga in 1949.                 
           The school was first shifted to Solan district in 1952 and later it changed its address to Mashobra in Shimla district in 1956. Meanwhile, a soil conservation school was also opened in Dalhousie. Both were merged in 1964 and the new school was then based in Solan. Form here it was finally shifted to its present address on April 15, 1968.                                             
           Chail, situated at an altitude of 2,200m above sea level in the sylvan surroundings of temperate forests of Cedrus deodara, at that time was part of the erstwhile Patiala state and hence this school has inherited some infrastructure of that time.                                        
          Giving details about the courses, Mr. Gulab S. Verma, Divisional Forest Officer, HPFTS, says the school runs two five and a half months long regular courses for forest guards and a three months capsule course for senior forest guards and deputy rangers each year. Mr. Verma says, “As on date 2,550 personnel have passed out, which include 1,941 forest guards and 609 deputy rangers, under regular courses. Both courses are being run on modular basis. Each module is a bundle of several competencies required for the job of a forest officer.”                                     
           For the staff also there are short-term refresher courses to make them aware of the newly introduced Joint Forest Management Scheme and other relevant topics such as seed and nursery technology, forest offences and laws, etc.     Till date 589 personnel of the fields staff, including 224 newly regularized forest workers have been imparted training. Since 1998, the school has also been running five need-based modular courses.                         
          Efforts have been made to put the school infrastructure to better use by sub-letting it to its sister concern. In line with this a 10-day course for Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation was organized in 1998-99. Similar courses were held for NAEB under a Government of India scheme for the staff of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining states.  Following this, since 1999 a one and a half months special training course for the fields staff of HPSFC has been introduced. Specialized courses were also run for DRDA (Himachal Pradesh), Kandi project (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir). Besides, nature awareness camps are also held for school children from time to time.                                          
         To initiate participatory approach in nearby villages, which can serve as a location for trainees for trying out their skills, Sakori and Banjani have been adopted. Under this programme villagers were taken to the University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan district, to provide them with the latest on animal husbandry, floriculture, etc.                
         Interestingly, girls can also join the school and for them a hostel has been provided on the premises of the school.
The Tribune (Chandigarh), 18 Oct. 2005

Environment of Change
 Manraj Grewal

As the houses give way to emerald fields and the NH-73 acquires a rhythm of its own, villages silently begin to emerge out of the shadows of green poplars. But it’s an almond-eyed buffalo rooted in the middle of the road that decides our first stop. Kheri it is. One of the 320 villages in 10 districts earmarked for the Haryana Community Forestry Project co-funded by the European Union, it’s just begun to get a taste of womanpower. Thirteen members of one of the two women’s self-help group (S.H.G) in the village are busy assessing themselves under the watchful eyes of Harish Kumar, the coordinator. After animated deliberations, they finally fill in the proforma: it’s full marks for initiative and planning, but only 2 out of 10 for marketing.                                                          
         Such brainstorming is a far cry from 2000 when the project was introduced in this village. “Earlier, we were confined to our homes,” says Neena Rani. Now they’re a band of sisters who get things done. Elsewhere in Mirpur village in the foothills of the Shivaliks, the Gujjars have stopped their wanderings to start serious farming, while in Dhandardu village in the boondocks of Bhiwani, the women celebrated the birth of a girl for the first time in their lives.                                              
         It’s thanks to the nine-year community forestry project that aims at improving both the environment and quality of life in the villages. S.K. Dhar, chief conservator of forests, who’s been the project director right since its birth in 1998, attributes its success to a participatory, non-government approach, and concurrent monitoring. “We just taught villagers how to think for themselves and manage their resources better,” he smiles. Goran Jonnson, the tall, blonde Swiss team leader of technical assistants, shows you a colourful graph on Mirpur to prove that the results have surpassed their expectations. Framed by the evening sunrays turning his house under construction golden, Rattan Singh, pradhan of the Village Resource Management Committee (V.R.M.C) of Mirpur village, fingers his gold earrings as he tells you about the life-changing impact of the two dams on the village. “We are Gujjars. Traditionally we’ve always lived off our cattle. But thanks to the water harnessed by dams, we’ve become farmers.”                                                
          The fields are lush with prosperity. With pipes bringing water to every field, the wheat output has doubled, that of gram and onions has grown threefold, and fodder, non-existent earlier, now lords over several acres. The changes began in 2003 when the villagers got together to dam a rivulet gushing down the Shivaliks barely a kilometer away. “The project gave the funds, the villagers free labour,” says Neeraj Sharma, coordinator for 17 villages which’ve built dams. When it came to water use, the V.R.M.C decided to charge Rs. 20 an hour water from members (those who’ve paid Rs 500) and Rs. 40 an hour for the rest.                                                          
          The second dam was completed on March 31, but the pipes are yet to be laid. And the villagers have turned more ambitious. “Our water needs have almost been met, now we plan to sell water to the neighbouring village,” grins Rattan.                      
          In fact, the project has given the gift of enterprise to villagers. At Kheri, women sell vermicompost for Rs. 3.50 a kg and now plan to start making and selling disposable cups. The 148 S.H.Gs in 92 villages are generating an income of Rs. 4 lakh a year from vermicompost alone. Raksha Pradhan of Kheri is very proud of their little bank – they collect Rs. 50 a month – that loaned Rs 10,000 to a member for buying a Jersey cow. “It’s earned us the respect of our husbands who know we can get loans more easily than them,” says Preeto Devi.                                
         The interactive project tailors its programme to suit the needs of the villagers. “They decide what they want, and we help them with finances,” says Dhar. Which explains why one S.H.G at Mukarpur village in Ladwa block has opted for a beauty parlour. “The women wanted it,” laughts Dhar.  The project made sure they got it.
Indian Express (New Delhi), 16 Oct. 2005

Amazing 710-Year-Old Tree Helps Researchers in Climate Variations
 Madhu Raina

Researchers from Columbia University, US, are minutely studying a 710-year-old Hemlock tree in Getsha, Bumthang, Bhutan to study the climate change over the past several centuries and also if the climate in changing now. The Hemlock tree considered oldest in the world is quite healthy and could provide an insight on whether the climate was changing because of global warming.                                             
           Researchers working on this oldest tree believe that the mammoth tree could help provide better models of climate change that could predict the future changes.  Experts from the Columbia University are using the dendro-chronology method to study the rings and growth patterns based on samples extracted from the tree.                                           
          Experts say that trees put on one annual growth ring a year and these rings vary in width year to year because of changes in weather.In general, wider rings means it was warmer than average and narrow rings means cooler than average. A long thin hollow tube like equipment is inserted into the trunk of the tree to extract a 5mm diameter sample. The experts claim that this process of sampling does not harm the tree in any manner.
The Himachal Times (Dehradun), 24 Oct. 2005

Work to Increase Forest Cover : Prez to Students

President A.P.J Abdul Kalam on Sunday told students and staff of the Hemawati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (H.N.B.G.U) that they could play a crucial role in developing the various facets of the new hill state of Uttaranchal. In his convocation address at University’s Srinagar campus in the morning, Kalam urged the university to help its students achieve the goal of increasing country’s forest cover from 20% to 30% by 2015. “The 21st century is all about collective management of over whelming knowledge and information available to us,” said the President who was the chief guest at the fifth convocation of the university.                                                 
           “A good educational model is, thus, the need of the hour. Inquiry, creativity, technology, entrepreneurial and moral leadership are the five capacities that the education process must inculcate in the students,” said Kalam. “H.N.B.G.U can work in the areas of landslide management, developing techniques for better mountain farming in rice, maize and oil seeds, working with the government and aiding the state in strengthening medicinal and aromatic plants industry and develop hill farming techniques,” President said.
Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 17 Oct. 2005

Grow Trees on Private Wastelands
 Aarti Dhar

The National Advisory Council (N.A.C) has suggested to the Centre to consider growing trees on private wastelands as it could be socially and economically desirable activity, which could substantially enhance farmers’ income and produce biomass.  It has suggested that wasteland development programmes could be included in the National Rural Employment Guarantee (N.R.E.G) scheme and efforts made to provide networking and linkage to institutes and centers of research to develop alternative species, which were useful as biomass fuels such as jatropha. A nodal ministry such as the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources should spearhead such network, the N.A.C. said.                            
          This calls for greater thrust on research since the species complementary to crop production for each eco-region was yet to be discovered.  Therefore, the Government’s attention has to shift to research bearing on wasteland development and complementary agro-forestry in the rain-fed and semi-arid regions, it said.       Pointing out that the focus on farm forestry has been getting diluted since the early 1990s, the N.A.C. said there were better social returns in promoting agro-forestry models in the rain-fed or semi-arid regions. The subject of ‘Wastelands and Agro-Forestry’ could be assigned to a specific ministry or department.                        
          In order to correct price distortions, the N.A.C. suggested discontinuance of subsidies to industries on the supply of wood and bamboo from Government forests, while ensuring that the industry also directs attention to barren lands and provides impetus to farm forestry.              
         It said that farmers’ interests are also adversely affected by the production of commercial wood in Government forests and its subsidized sale to industry. Since the demand for marketed wood in India was limited, duplicating the same species, such as Eucalyptus, on forest and farmlands ultimately cut into the profits of farmers and could undermine the Farm Forestry Programme itself. If the industry were asked to establish links with farmers to produce and supply raw materials at remunerative prices, the subsidies on government supply could be stopped, the N.A.C. said.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 03 Oct. 2005

Managing Red Palm Weevil in Coconut
 G. Balakrishnamoorthy and D. Vijayalakshmi

Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is a major pest of coconut plantations in India. Once the palm is attacked it succumbs to the infestation in 6 to 8 months if timely control measures are not adopted. The infestation is more severe in young plantations.                 
Stem infestation                                              
          As the leaf axils are soft they provide congenial sites for ovi-position of red palm weevil. In the palms subjected to toddy tapping, the steps cut or wounds made on the tender stems for climbing purpose and broken or cut petioles also invite the adult weevils. In the affected trees, holes are seen with exudation of a thick brownish viscous fluid and extrusion of chewed up discarded fibres.                               
Crown infestation                                
           Infestation on the spindle leaves or an incidence of fungal diseases like bud rot or leaf rot lead to the attack of red palm weevil in many cases. The eggs are usually laid in fresh wounds or injuries on the coconut palm. The apodous (absence of legs) grub bores into the interior of the palm, feeding voraciously on the inner soft succulent tissues. Larval period ranges from one to two months. At the end of the larval period the grub makes an elongated, oval cocoon made out of fibrous strands and pupates inside.                                                
          The total life is completed in four months. Adults are reddish brown with a long, curved and pointed snout. The damaged palm should be destroyed, and mechanical injuries on trees should be avoided. The crown of the palm should be kept clean and tidy. Root feeding with moncrotophos at 10ml plus 10ml of water is effective. After root feeding up to 45 days nuts must not be harvested. The weevil-infested palms can be saved by the application of Endosulfan or carbaryl at 0.1%.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 20 Oct. 2005

सूबे की ‘संजीवनी’ पर संकट गहराया

भूकंप, भूस्खलन, प्राकृतिक उत्तरजीविता और प्रजातियों का असंतुलन उत्तरांचल की जैव विविधता के लिए गंभीर खतरा है। भारतीय वन सर्वेक्षण के वैज्ञानिकों के अध्ययन को आधार मानें तो गढ़वाल की पहाड़ियों में 300 से ज्यादा जड़ी-बूटियाँ ऐसी हैं, जो अपनी चिकित्सकीय गुणों की वजह से जानी जाती है। इनमें से कइयों के अस्तित्व पर संकट छाया हुआ है। इनमें भी 10 से 12 प्रजातियाँ तो ऐसी हैं, जिन पर तुरंत ध्यान नहीं दिया गया तो इनका विलुप्त होना तय है।                       
      अपने औषधीय गुणों के चलते हिमालय की पहाड़ियाँ प्राचीन काल से ही भारतीयों को जीवन देती रही है, इसलिए इनका जिक्र धर्म ग्रंथों में संजीवनी बूटी के रूप में भी किया जाता रहा है। यहां तक की आयुर्वेद चरक और सुश्रुत संहिता भी इनके गुणों का बखान करती है।                                   
              लेकिन, उन्हीं जीवन रक्षक बूटियों का अस्तित्व अब संकट में है। प्राकृतिक आपदाओं के साथ ही मानवीय भूल भी इसके लिए कम जिम्मेदार नहीं है। बाटेनिकल सर्वे आफ इंडिया में देश भर से जुटे वैज्ञानिकों में से ज्यादातर का तो यही मानना है। दवाओं के निर्माण और उत्तरांचल की अर्थव्यवस्था में अहम योगदान करने वाली करीब 100 प्रजातियाँ हैं। इनमें से 90 फीसदी तो यूं ही पर्वतीय इलाकों में उपजते हैं, जिसकी वजह से दवा निर्माण के लिए बिना किसी रणनीति के बेतरतीब तरीके से इनका दोहन किया जाता है। जैव विविधता के लिए खतरा बनी भूकंप, भूस्खलन और प्राकृतिक आपदाओं पर वश नहीं है, लेकिन थोड़ी-सी सावधानी धरोहर को अगली पीढ़ी को ‘नेमत’ सौंप सकती है। विशेषज्ञ डा. आर.आर. राव का कहना है कि मानवीय जरूरतों को पूरा करने के लिए जंगलों की अंधाधुध कटाई, अत्यधिक पशुचरण और चिकित्सकीय गुणों वाले पौधों का बेतहाशा दोहन भी इसकी अहम वजह है। बोटैनिकल सर्वे आफ इंडिया के संयुक्त निदेशक डा. एस.कुमार के मुताबिक सलामपांजा, अतीश/अति-विष सरीखी प्रजातियाँ अब लुप्तप्राय हैं। जबकि अतिशय प्रयोग की वजह से जटामांशी, कुटकी/करवी, चिरैता सरीखी प्रजातियों का अस्तित्व भी खतरे में पड़ गया है। अपनी एक रिपोर्ट में उन्होंने इस ओर ध्यान खींचा है। उत्तरांचल के पर्वतीय इलाकों का अध्ययन करने वाले डा. आर.आर. राव का कहना है कि यहां कई पाकेट्स में खास तरह की जड़ी-बूटियां पाई जाती है। प्रकृति से थोड़ी-सी भी छेड़छाड़ केवल एक नहीं, बल्कि वनस्पति की पूरी श्रृंखला को नष्ट करने के लिए काफी है। उनका कहना है कि देश-विदेश के वैज्ञानिक इन्हें बचाने के लिए शोध करने में जुटे हैं, लेकिन इसके लिए स्वयं सरकार को ही सचेत होना होगा।
अमर उजाला (देहरादून), 26 Oct. 2005

फूलों की घाटी में उग आए दुश्मन पादपों से चिंता

इसी वर्ष विश्व धरोहर घोषित की गई फूलों की घाटी पर वजूद का संकट मंडराने लगा है। खतरा वहां तेजी से उग रहे ऐसे पुष्पीय पौधे से है जो अपने आस-पास दुसरे पौधों को नहीं पनपने देता। हालात की नजाकत को देखते हुए वनाधिकारियों ने इस पर काबू पाने की कवायद शुरू कर दी है। विश्वविख्यात घाटी के लिए मुसीबत बनकर उभरे इस पौधे का नाम पालीगोनम पोली स्टेडियम है। यह बहुत प्रिय पादप है जो जुलाई अगस्त में हल्के पीले रंग के फूल देता है। एक से ढ़ाई मीटर ऊंचाई वाला यह पादप आस-पास के पौधों को ढक देता है। नयी वाली जगहों पर यह तेजी से बढ़ता है। एच.आर.डी.आई. के वैज्ञानिक डा.सी.पी.कुनियाल ने बताया कि उच्च शिखरीय पादपों की ऊंचाई सामान्यतया कम होती है। इनके बीच अचानक उभरा ज्यादा ऊंचाई वाला यह पौधा दुसरे पादपों की वृद्धि प्रभावित कर रहा है। ऋषिकेश-बदरीनाथ राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग पर स्थित गोविन्दघाट से लगभग 17 कि.मी. दूर फूलों की घाटी में उक्त पौधा गाजर घांस की तरह फैल रहा है। अधिकारी इसके फैलाव से बाकी पुष्पीय पौधों के लिए अस्तित्व का खतरा होने की पुष्टि कर चुके हैं। फिलहाल इससे जुड़े सभी पहलुओं का अध्ययन कर दिया गया है।                                                        
               अधिकारियों ने बताया कि इसे खतरे का आंकलन तथा इससे बचाव के स्थायी उपाय सुनिश्चित करने के लिए चल रहे वैज्ञानिक अध्ययन के तहत घाटी में 33 प्लाट बना लिए गए हैं। बीती जून-जुलाई व अगस्त में वहां इस पादप की कटिंग की गई फूलों को निकालने से पहले तथा इसकी कटिंग के बाद देखा जा रहा है कि आखिर इससे कौन-कौन से पुष्प प्रभावित रहे हैं। नंदा देवी बायोस्फियर उप वनाधिकारी गंगेश्वर पाण्डेय बताते हैं कि इस पादप से अब तक प्रभावित हो चुकी पुष्प प्रजातियों का डाटा संकलित किया जा रहा है। नंदा देवी बायोस्फियर रिजर्व के निदेशक समीर सिंहा तथा वैज्ञानिक भी इसका निरीक्षण कर चुके हैं। नंदा देवी पार्क के डी.एफ.ओ. श्रवण कुमार के अनुसार इस पर नियंत्रण के लिए शोध जारी है। ज्ञातव्य है कि नंदा देवी बायोस्फियर में कई वर्षों से भेड़ बकरियों के चुगान पर प्रतिबंध होने के कारण यहां का पर्यावरणीय संतुलन बिगड़ा हुआ है।
दून दर्पण (देहरादून), 17 Oct. 2005

जड़ी-बूटी संरक्षण को वन क्षेत्र में सी.डी.एच. प्लान लागू

जड़ी-बूटी के कृषिकरण को बढ़ावा देने के लिए 26 प्रजातियों को चिन्हित किया गया है, जिनके कृषिकरण लागत मूल्य पर शासन द्वारा 50 फीसदी अनुदान की गई है। यह जानकारी कबीना मंत्री गोविन्द सिंह कुंजवाल ने दी।  उन्होंने बताया कि इन कवायदों को सफलतापूर्व सम्पन्न कराने के लिए सीमावर्ती जनपदों के सभी किसानों को तथा अन्य जनपदों में बी.पी.एल. एवं अनुसूचित जाति/जनजाति के परिवारों को औषधीय पौध 03 नाली व सगंध पौध 05 नाली भूमि हेतु निःशुल्क उपलब्ध कराने की व्यवस्था की गई है।                                                           
      इतना ही नहीं जड़ी-बूटी कृषिकरण कर रहे काश्तकारों को तकनीकी जानकारी प्रदान करने के लिए वन विभाग, जड़ी-बूटी शोध एवं विकास संस्थान गोपेश्वर एवं भेषज संघों द्वारा प्रशिक्षण कार्यक्रम आयोजित किए जा रहे हैं तथा काश्तकारों के निःशुल्क पंजीकरण की कार्यकारी भी संस्थान द्वारा सुनिश्चित की गई।                                                     
      इसके अलावा जड़ी-बूटी शोध एवं विकास संस्थान, गोपेश्वर के नियंत्रणाधीन संगंध पादप केन्द्र सेलाकुई में सगंध पौधों की गुणवत्ता की जांच हेतु प्रयोगशाला भी स्थापित की गई है। विधायक नारायण पाल के द्वारा पूछे गए प्रश्न के लिखित जवाब में उन्होंने बताया कि इन तमाम प्रयासों के अलावा प्रदेश में जड़ी-बूटी के संरक्षण, विकास एवं विदोहन के लिए सरकार द्वारा स्पष्ट कार्ययोजना व रणनीति तैयार की है। उन्होंने जानकारी दी कि वन क्षेत्र में जड़ी-बूटी संरक्षण को सी.डी.एच. प्लान लागू किया गया है, जिसके अनुसार 1.01 लाख हे. क्षेत्र संग्रहण कार्यों हेतु चिन्हित किया गया है। साथ ही जड़ी-बूटियों के प्रचार-प्रसार हेतु वन विभाग द्वारा ऋषिकेश में हर्बल गार्डन की स्थापना करने के अलावा जड़ी-बूटी विपणन हेतु राज्य में तीन मंडियां ऋषिकेश टनकपुर एवं रामनगर में स्थापित की गई है।
दून दर्पण (देहरादून), 24 Oct. 2005

सागौन के वृक्षों पर मंडराया अस्तित्व का संकट

रामनगर एवं तराई पश्चिमी वन प्रभाग के आरक्षित वन क्षेत्र में सागौन के पेड़ों पर खतरनाक स्कीलटनाईजर (गुज्जी) कीट ने हमला बोल दिया है। अब तक लगभग 500 हैक्टेयर वन क्षेत्र इससे प्रभावित हो चुकी है। करोड़ों रूपये के सागौन वृक्ष सूखने के कगार पर है। वन विभाग द्वारा अभी तक गुज्जी की रोकथाम के लिए प्रयास न किये जाने से सागौन के लिए विश्व प्रसिद्ध इस क्षेत्र से सागौन के समाप्त हो जाने का खतरा मंडराने लगा है।                       
      पिछले दिनों लगातार हुई बारिश के चलते वातावरण में नमी के बढ़ते पर रानीखेत मार्ग स्थित आमडंडा से लेकर मोहान तक तथा हल्द्वानी मार्ग पर कोसी बैराज से लेकर बेलगढ़ तक के जंगल की करीब 500 हेक्टेयर भूमि पर गुज्जी ने हमला बोल दिया। गुज्जी द्वारा हरी-भरी पत्तियों को चट किये जाने सौगान के विशाल पेड़ धीरे-धीरे सूखने लगे। स्थानीय जानकार लोगों की मानें तो गुज्जी का प्रकोप इतना ज्यादा है कि अगले एक सप्ताह के भीतर और दो सौ हेक्टेयर क्षेत्र में फैला जंगल इसकी चपेट में आ सकता है। अगर वन विभाग द्वारा इस खतरनाक कीट की रोकथाम के लिए शीघ्र कोई ठोस पहल नहीं की गई तो दुनिया में सौगान के नाम से पहचाने जाने वाले इस वृक्ष का अस्तित्व ही खत्म हो जाएगा।                                  
               बैलपड़ाव रेंज के वन क्षेत्राधिकारी रमाकांत तिवारी ने बताया कि गुज्जी के प्रकोप से कोसी बैराज से बेलगढ़ तक के जंगल में हजारों सागौन वृक्ष सूखने के कगार पर है। उन्होंने बताया कि विभाग शीघ्र ही प्रभावित क्षेत्र में नीम, धतूरा व आख के रस के घोल का छिड़काव करेगा। वही रेंबी प्रफेंड्स नेचर आफ इनवायरमेंट के बची सिंह बिष्ट ने बताया कि गुज्जों ने कार्बेट पार्क के बफर जोन में लगे सागौन के पेड़ों को भी अपनी चपेट में ले लिया है। रामनगर वन प्रभाग के प्रभागीय वनाधिकारी दिनेश राम ने बताया कि वर्ष 1998 में भी इस गुज्जी कीट ने सागौन की पत्तियों पर हमला किया था। उन्होंने बताया कि यह कीट पत्तियों को खाकर सिर्फ जाले छोड़ देता है जिससे पेड़ का विकास रुकने के कारण वह धीरे-धीरे सूख जाता है। इस कीट का जीवन 20 से 30 दिन का होता है। उन्होंने माना कि अगले वर्ष मार्च-अप्रैल माह में सागौन पर आने वाली नई पत्तियों को भी अगर इस कीट ने अपनी चपेट में ले लिया तो क्षेत्र में सागौन के जंगल समाप्त हो जाने की आशंका है।
दून दर्पण (देहरादून), 23 Oct. 2005

वृक्ष रक्षा को मुंबई में चिपके बहुगुणा

चिपको आंदोलन के जनक और महान पर्यावरणविद सुंदरलाल बहुगुणा ने शुक्रवार की सुबह लाल बहादुर शास्त्री मार्ग के एक पेड़ से चिपक कर हजारों पेड़ों को बचाने के आंदोलन को अपना समर्थन दिया। उनके साथ सैकड़ों पर्यावरण प्रेमी और स्थानीय लोग भी पेड़ों से चिपके। पेड़ों से चिपक कर पर्यावरण प्रेमियों और आंदोलनकारियों ने स्पष्ट कहा कि अगर एक पेड़ कटेगा तो उसके साथ एक सर भी कलम होगा। इस तरह के आंदोलन को देखकर मुंबई मेट्रोपोलिटन रीजन डेवलपमेंट आथरिटी (एम.एम.आर.डी.ए) के अधिकारियों ने फिलहाल पेड़ों को काटने का अभियान रोक दिया है। इस मौके पर सुप्रसिद्ध पर्यावरणवादी बहुगुणा ने कहा कि मुंबई की आबादी बढ़ रही है और बड़ी-बड़ी इमारतें खड़ी हो रही हैं। लेकिन इमारतों और सड़कों के निर्माण के नाम पर बेवजह पेड़ काटे जा रहे हैं।                       
            इससे पर्यावरण बिगड़ रहा है। इसलिए पर्यावरण के संतुलन को बनाए रखने के लिए पेड़ों को बचाना बहुत जरूरी है। उन्होंने मुंबई के लोगों से कहा कि वे पेड़ों को बचाने के लिए आगे आएं और इस महानगर को भी बचाएं। बहुगुणा ने इस आंदोलन के साथ मुंबई के पर्यावरण प्रेमियों को भी उपनगर कांदिवली में संबोधित किया। मुंबई के पर्यावरण प्रेमियों के आग्रह पर बहुगुणा अपनी पत्नी विमला बेन के साथ गुरूवार को नाशिक से मुंबई आए। उनके साथ विक्रोली से मुलुंई के बीच लाल बहादुर शास्त्री मार्ग के लगभग 1500 पेड़ों को बचाने का अभियान चलाया गया। पर्यावरण प्रेमियों और स्थानीय लोगों का कहना है कि इन पेड़ों को ट्रैफिक जाम के बहाने काटा जा रहा है जबकि सड़कों पर अतिक्रमण से ट्रैफिक जाम हो रहा है। पर्यावरण के लिए काम करने वाली संस्था सेव बांबे कमेटी और प्रकृति से जुड़े पर्यावरणविद् किशन मेहता ने हिन्दुस्तान को बताया कि मुंबई शहरीय परिवहन परियोजना के तहत सड़कों के किनारे के लगभग 1200 हरे भरे पेड़ काटे जा रहे हैं जबकि इन पेड़ों के कारण पर्यावरण का संतुलन बना हुआ है। इसमें से एक पेड़ गोरख क्यूब तो 500 साल पुराना है जो एक धरोहर है उसे भी काटा जा रहा है। उन्होंने एक सवाल के जवाब में कहा कि अगर अमिताभ बच्चन के बंगले को नुकसान पहुंचाने वाले किसी पेड़ को काटा जाएगा तो उसे भी बचाने के लिए सुंदरलाल बहुगुणा सहित मुंबई के सारे पर्यावरण प्रेमी उस पेड़ से चिपकेंगे। उन्होंने कहा कि पेड़ को बचाने केलिए बच्चन को स्वयं आगे आना चाहिए।
हिन्दुस्तान टाइम्स (नई दिल्ली), 29 Oct. 2005

चीड़ से संकट नहीं यह तो ‘अलार्म’ है

पर्यावरण एवं जैव विविधता को नुकसान पहुंचाने के लिए चीड़ (पाइन) को जितना जिम्मेदार करार दिया जाता है; वह उतना नहीं है। वैज्ञानिकों का साफ कहना है कि चीड़ प्रजाति तो महज एक संकेतक (इंडीकेटर) है, जो प्रकृति में आ रहे बदलाव की खबर देता है। जिस भी क्षेत्र में वातावरण में शुष्कता आने लगती है और मिट्टी में अम्लीय प्रवृत्ति बढ़ती वह क्षेत्र चीड़ के लिए उपयुक्त हो जाता है। उस क्षेत्र में फिर दूसरी प्रजाति का पनपना मुमकिन नहीं रह जाता।                                      
             गौरतलब है कि राज्य में चीड़ वृक्ष को लेकर काफी विवाद है। चीड़ को स्थानीय जैव विविधता के लिए हानिकारक मानते हुए उसे प्रोत्साहित करने की पैरवी की जा रही है। वैज्ञानिक राजनीतिक तथा सामाजिक संगठनों के चीड़ विरोधी रवैये से सहमत नहीं है। भारतीय वन्यजीव संस्थान के वरिष्ठ वैज्ञानिक प्रोफेसर जी.एस. रावत कहते हैं कि चीड़ की मुखालफत नहीं बल्कि उससे मिल रहे संकेतों के आधार पर पर्यावरण संरक्षण की ओर काम करना ज्यादा उचित होगा। बनारस हिंदू विश्वविद्यालय के वरिष्ठ वैज्ञानिक प्रोफेसर भरत राय की राय भी अलग नहीं है। उनको कहना है कि कई मौकों पर तो चीड़ काफी फायदेमंद साबित होता है। रोगोपचार खासकर टी.बी. में चीड़ का वातावरण अच्छा माना जाता है। गढ़वाल विश्वविद्यालय के प्रोफेसर आर.डी. गौड़ के मुताबिक स्थानीय जैवविविधता को चीड़ की प्रकृति के कारण क्षति पहुंचती है। जहां चीड़ होगा, वहां छोटी वनस्पतियों के पनपने के आसार क्षीण हो जाते हैं। चीड़ तभी पनपता है जब वातावरण उसके अनुकूल होने लगता है। राज्य के मुख्य वन्यजीव प्रतिपालक अपर प्रमुख वन संरक्षक श्रीकांत चंदोला का कहना है कि चीड़ प्रजाति भी प्रकृति का ही एक अहम अंग है। ज्यों-ज्यों भौगोलिक एवं पर्यावरणीय संतुलन बिगड़ने लगता है, चीड़ के लिए अनुकूल वातावरण उपलब्ध हो जाता है। श्री चंदोला ने कहा कि राज्य के सामाजिक एवं भौगोलिक ताने-बाने की ध्यान में रखते हुए इस दिशा में काफी गंभीरता से कदम उठाए गए हैं।  चीड़ के बजाए अब मिश्रित वनों तथा स्थानीय उपयोग व आर्थिक रूप से लाभदायक प्रजातियों को ही प्रोत्साहित किया जा रहा है।
अमर उजाला (देहरादून), 25 Oct. 2005

संरक्षित होंगी जड़ी-बूटियों की प्रजातियां
 मनमोहन शर्मा

उत्तरांचल को हर्बल स्टेट बनाने की दिशा में सरकार ने ठोस प्रयास प्रारंभ कर दिए हैं। 14 हैक्टेयर आरक्षित वन क्षेत्रों का जड़ी-बूटी के लिए संरक्षित क्षेत्रों के रूप में चिन्हीकरण किया गया है। जड़ी-बूटी की 224 प्रजातियों के जर्मप्लाज्म का संग्रह करने के लिए कर्मचारियों को प्रशिक्षित किया जा रहा है।                                                                                 
      राज्य में जड़ी-बूटी के व्यवसाय को सुनियोजित करने तथा स्थानीय लोगों की इसमें सहभागिता बढ़ाने के उद्देश्य से वन-विभाग ने जो पहल की है, उससे विभाग को उम्मीद है कि भविष्य में जड़ी-बूटी का उत्पादन प्रदेश की आर्थिक रीढ़ को मजबूत करेगा। सरकार ने प्रदेश में जड़ी-बूटी के संरक्षण, विकास एवं विदोहन के लिए प्रभावी योजना बनाई है। इसे धरातल पर उतारने का जिम्मा उद्यान, वन एवं सहकारिता विभाग के पास है। ऐसे में तीनों ही विभागों ने अपने-अपने स्तर पर कार्य शुरू किये हैं। वन विभाग ने 14 हजार हेक्टेयर आरक्षित वन क्षेत्रों को जड़ी-बूटी के लिए संरक्षित क्षेत्रों में चिन्हित किया है। इसके साथ ही सुरकंडा, कंडारा बुग्याल, व चोफ्ता बुग्याल में जड़ी-बूटी के सर्वेक्षण का कार्य शुरू किया गया है, ताकि इस बात की पुख्ता जानकारी रहे कि इन क्षेत्रों में किस तरह की जड़ी-बूटी उपलब्ध है। सिक्किम, लद्दाख, मध्यप्रदेश व कर्नाटक से दुर्लभ प्रजातियों की जड़ी-बूटियों के बीजों व पौधों को एकत्र किया जा रहा है, ताकि राज्य में उनका उत्पादन प्रारंभ किया जा सके। वन क्षेत्रों में जड़ी-बूटी के संबंध में त्वरित सर्वेक्षण की रिपोर्ट का भी अध्ययन