Q1. Discuss the environmental problems of India in the context of rapid economic development and population growth. (2007)
Answer :
The Stockholm Summit, the first ever on environment related issues, clearly established that the poverty and development are biggest polluters. This statement is still very relevant in the context of environmental problems of India.
India witnessed a slow progress of Industry driven economic development in the first four decades of Independence. This pace has risen suddenly in the post reform era during early nineties. This time the country is witnessing a boom in the industrialisation.
The manufacturing sector is leading the economic development of India. The setting up of giant plants in sectors like iron and steel, thermal power, automobiles, chemicals etc is the mantra of day. Though this development has helped in raising of the standard of life for common public but it has brought certain drawbacks for the environment.
The biggest environmental concern is pollution. Our air, water, soil and all other biospheric components are getting polluted upto an extent that they can’t be redeemed back to the life gain. The level of poisonous gases e.g. Carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen etc. is reaching an alarming stage. It is causing much harm to all living and non-living beings in the atmosphere. There is disturbance in even the nutrient cycles.
Similarly, water pollution is alarming. The disposal of untreated industrial waste into water bodies has killed the rivers and lakes. Also the harmful residues of agricultural fields are reaching the food web.
The soil pollution is also severe. The problem of alkalisation and salination of soil is rampant in states like Punjab, Haryana etc.
Apart from pollution, the process of industrialisation and urbanization is putting excessive pressure over natural resources. Forest resource is depleting fast. Similarly due to excessive mining, our crust has become hollow. The land slides and slumping have become common problems in excessive mining regions.
The loss of habitat is leading to the extinction of plants, animals and microbial species. The biological impoverishment of the country is a serious threat to sustainable advances in biological productivity. Gene erosion also erodes the prospects for deriving full economic and ecological benefits from recent advances in molecular biology and genetic engineering.
Our unique wetlands, rich in aquatic and bird life, providing food and shelter as also the breeding and spawning ground for the marine and fresh water fishes, are facing problems of pollution and over exploitation. The major rivers of the country are also facing problems of pollution and siltation. Our long coastline is under similar stress. Our coastal areas have been severely damaged due to indiscriminate construction near the waterline. Coastal vegetation including mangroves and sea grasses is getting denuded.
Our mountain ecosystems are under threat of serious degradation. Extensive deforestation leading to the erosion of valuable topsoil is threatening the livelihood security of millions of hill people. Equally serious is the downstream effects of the damage done upstream. Indo-Gangetic agriculture, often described as a potential bread basket in the world, is being damaged beyond repair as a result of soil degradation. Some areas are facing problems of waterlogging and rising water tables because of poorly planned and executed irrigation. In other areas, the water table is receding because of over-exploitation of ground water. The excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides imposes threat to human health, to the genetic stocks and reduces the natural soil fertility in the long run.
Compounding these human-inflicted wounds on natural ecosystems and life support mechanism, facing problems of pollution and unsanitary conditions especially in urban areas. Pollution arising from toxic wastes and non-biodegradable consumer articles is increasing. Megacities are emerging and urban slums are expanding. Not only the economic development, but the population growth is also taking a heavy toll on our environment. With rising number of people, are rising the needs of food, clothing and shelter.
The excessive burden on agriculture to produce more is compelling greater use of irrigation, chemical fertilizers, HYV seeds etc. Though it brings food security but it is not without any drawbacks. It brings irreparable damage to soil and natural life support systems.
Similarly, the need for shelter is increasing due to urbanisation. This leads to cutting of forests and pastures to get land for domestic use.
There have been many indirect factors contributing to this sorry state of affairs. Out of these, the government apathy and negligence is of prime concern.
The population growth and economic development are necessities that we can’t dispense away with. Therefore, to harmonize these processes, we must strengthen the instruments like EIA and Social Audit to sustain them in harmony with nature.
Q2. Evaluate the concept of sustainable growth and development. (2004)
Answer :
Development is a process about improving the well-being of people and Sustainable Development sustains this process. It is a development that aims at efficient utilisation of resources without depleting it irresversibly.
The concept of sustainable growth and development is very broad and incorporates in its fold all the ingredients of public welfare. The general principle of sustainable development adopted by the World Commission on Environment and Development—that “Current Generations should meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”—has become widely accepted. Thus sustainable growth and development is a process of social and economic betterment that satisfies the needs and values of all interest groups without foreclosing future options. To this end, this approach calls for to ensure that the demand on the environment from which we derive our sustenance does not exceed its carrying capacity for the present as well as future generations.
Nevertheless, in the world and in India also, there has been progressive pressure on the environment and the natural resources, the alarming consequences of which are becoming vident in increasing proportions. These consequences in the form of pollution, environmental degradation, etc. are the result of lopsided emphasis on economic growth without due care to environment. These consequences make the lives of people unhealthy to the extent of threatening their survivial, thereby making the gains of development (economic) any, redundant. Moreover the most affected by these consequences are the poor ones which are in considerable proportion in a developing country like India. It is in this context that humans need the holistic approach of sustainable development to survive themselves and improve their lot.
The goals of development and environmental protection are not contradictory. It is not plausible to argue that all natural resources should be preserved. Development process will inevitably involve some amount of forest clearing, mixing, river damming, etc. However, it is suggested that natural capital should be preserved in some aggregate sense, with losses in one area replenished eleewhere.
Such is the need and importance of the concept of sustainable development that it has almost acquired a status of paradigm. It has become a yardstick to measure the efficacy of any development policy. Even the preamble of Indian National Conservation Strategy and the Policy Statement on Environment and Development aptly remarks that “the survival and well-being of a nation depend on sustainable development”
Q3. In what way the language, religion and tradition can form the basis of cultural regionalisation of India? (2002)
Answer :
Region is an area of homogeneity with isotropic surface and common attributes. Hetrogeneity will be automatically found accross the boundary of such region. But such boundaries are not watertight compartments. They are only transitional. Thus, their demarcation is a problem in geographical studies. Still, some commonality on macro level and maso level are taken and micro level hetrogenities are avoided to demarcate a region.
A geographical region or a physical region is bound to be different from a cultural region because of the different variables taken in account for their demarcation.
It was Blash, who first used cultural attributes for regional purposes. Prof. Kurian of Madras University, also presented strong reasons for farming of a region based on cultural attributes. He recommended micro and meso level division of India on the basis of cultural attributes.
R.L. Singh in 1968, gave similar view as Kurian for the formulation of Macro, Meso and Micro regions.
In India, linguistic diversity is great, all the religions have followers and different segments of regional cultures have emerged. Hence, these three factors becomes the most important attribution for cultural regionalisation.
(i) Language and region :India is multilingual state. According to census of 1951, 844 languages and dialects were spoken in India. The geographical concentration of different linguistic groups provide some interesting pattern. 97% of population speak only 17 languages.
The formation of states were made on the basis of language like the bifurcation of Punjab and Haryana, formation of Assam and other N.E. states, Himachal Pradesh from Punjab etc.
At micro level, dialects also become one fine attribute to give birth to cultural birth like in middle Ganga plain Bhojpuri, Magadhi and Maithili distinguish them from each other. Likewise, Mewar in Rajasthan and Kachchh in Gujarat are districts on account of different dialects.
(ii) Religion and Region :Religion is also an important determenant as it increases social cohesion, clustering of settlements and bring about togetherness among the people. India has 82% of Hindus, 12% of Muslim and also Sikh, Parsis, Buddhist, Jains, Christians and Animists. India being a secular society does not discriminate Religion, still forms the basis on the meso and micro levels. The state of Punjab, state of Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim etc. arelargly dominated by minority religion groups. Jammu and Kashmir can be further divided into different cultural segment on the basis of religions :
- Kashmir valley— Muslim
- Ladakh Region—Buddhist
- Jammu Region—Hindu.
Sometimes, the district level pattern also show the clustering pattern.
(iii) Culture and region :India is a land of cultural diversity. Different cultural group with their own distinct cultural practices and societal norms, entered its land and have come to settle as its masters. The fusion process is greatest still, they hold their original characteristics.
Brook and Web called it one India region and defined it as a singular cultural region. But, there are internal diversity at meso and micro level.
Himalayan cultural realm in the East is mostly tropical and tribal and the way of living is based on tropical practices like hunting, Jhum agriculture.
The Hindustani region is on Indo Gangetic plains, where amalgamation of Hindu and Muslim culture is seen. The plateau region is dominated by secondary agriculture and domestication of animals. Colonial powers have left their imprint upon micro level regions like Goa, Daman & Diu, Pondicherry, etc.Some sociologist also divide India into tribal and non-tribal regions. The tribals being isolated, animists, unsettled, sometimes nomads while other group shows advancement and greater cohesive and uniform characters. Thus language, tradition and religion can very well form the basis of cultural regionalisation in India.
Q4. Explain the causes, impacts and remedial measures of earthquake disaster. (2002)
Answer :
An earthquake is a vibration or oscillation of the surface of the earth caused by a transient disturbance of the elastic or gravitational equillibrium of the rocks at or beneath the surface.
Earthquakes are caused mainly due to dis-equillibrium in any part of the crust of the earth. This disequillibrium can be attributed to many causes.
(i)Volcancity is one such major cause. In fact, valcancity and seismic events are so intimately related to each other that they become cause and effect of of each other. The try to escape upward and hence they push the crustal surface from below with great force and thus, if causes tremors of high magnitude.
(ii)Folding and faulting : The horizontal and vertical movements caused by endogenic forces result in the formation of folds and faults which intern cause isostaticdisequillibrium in the crustal rock which ultimately causes earthquakes of varying magnitude depending on the nature and magnitude of dislocation of rock blocks caused by faulting and folding.
(iii) Hydrostatic pressure from the huge reserviors, deep-mining, nuclear explosion etc. are other such anthropogenic causes which induce seismicity on the earth surface.
(iv) Recently the plate tectonic theory is accepted as the most plausible explanation of the causes of earthquakes. The moving plates interact with each other along convergent, divergent and conservative boundaries, giving birth to high intensity, moderate and shallow earthquakes respectively.
Intensity of earthquake and their hazardous impacts are determined not on the basis of the magnitude, but on the quantum of damage. The main impact of earthquakes are :
(i)Slope instability and failure and landslide : The shocks produced by earthquake particularly in hilly and mountainous areas, which are compound of weaker lithologies and are tectonically sensitive and weak, causeslope instability and ultimately cause landslide and debris fall which damage settlement and transport system on lower slope segments. This is particularly true in the Shivalik and lesser Himalayan Ranges.
(ii)Damage to human structure : Earthquake causes great damage to human structure such as buildings, road, rail, factories, dams, bridges and thus causes heavy loss to human property. Two major earthquakes in Bihar-Nepal border in 1934 and 1988, can explain the impact on human. More than 11,000 deaths were caused in 1934. This region has unconsolidated Ganga alluvium, which aggravate the problem.
(iii)Damage to town and cities : The impact is greater in towns and cities due to the high density and agglomeration of human settlement and high density of population. All the communication line are damaged. Kolkata city was severly damaged due to severe earthquake of 11 Oct, 1737, as 3,000,00 people died.
(iv)Loss of human lives and property : Great loss of property and human life can occur.
(v)Fires : The strong vibration caused by severe earthquakes strongly shake the buildings and thus, strong oscillations cause severe fire in houses because of overtiming of cooking gas, etc.
(vi)Deformation of ground surface : Severe earth tremors and resultant vibrations caused by earthquakes result in the deformation of ground surface because of rise and subsidence of ground surface and faulting. The ground surface was greatly deformed in the delta region of Indus river in 1819, as an area of 4500 km was submerged beneath sea water.
(vii)Flash Floods : Strong seismic events can damage the dams and cause severe flash floods. The 1950 earthquake of Assam produced barrier in the Dihang valley due to debris fall, causing flood in the upper stream.
(viii)Tsunamis : The seismic waves caused by earthquake travelling through sea water, generate high sea waves and cause great loss of life and property. The Kutch earthquake of June 1819, generated strong Tsunamis which submerged the covered area and inflicted great damage to ships and both. 24 km area was also raised now called Allah’s Bund which provided shelter to the stranded and marooned people.
Remedial measures can be clubbed into two categories: short term measures long term measurs. In the short-term measures, damage control shall be the strategy along with relief works and providing medical, sanitational help to the people of damaged area. Restablishing the communication lines and transportation at the earliest and providing food and shelter to the affected people by transporting them to better and safe places.
In long-term measures, the strategy shall be adoption of preventive measures like building earthquake free structures, wooden houses, shiffting the population to a safer site. It shall also include measures life prediction of earthquake occurrences. The prior information can do the damage control.
Q5. Elucidate the role of tribal development blocks in development of tribal areas. (2002)
Answer :
Constitution of tribal development blocks was started in 1980’s, on the recommendation of Au Sui Committee. The committee recommended two different strategies.
(i)TSP: Tribal Sub-Plan for those area, where the tribals were in majority or their population was more than 5000.
(ii)MADA :Marginal Area Development Agency for those areas where the tribals were less numerous in strength or less than 5000 in number.
This programme was a target plan. It targeted directly the mass tribal population and their habitate. It concentrated on both the economic and ecological aspects. On economic front, it worked for food security, employment generation, nutrition, etc. It concentrated on the social sector by opening schools, providing healthcare facilities and other social institutions for development.
On the ecological aspect, it envisaged and emphasses on the conservation of environment with no external interference. Practices like Jhoom agriculture and retain on forest products are substituted.
The Tribal development blocks work as a growth centre from which diffusion of developmental process is supposed to reach to the bottom.
It cannot be said that the mussian has fooled. But it has also not met its coveted end.
Q6. Explain the geographical characteristics of the regional distribution of earthquakes in India. (2001)
Answer :
Earthquakes are generally caused by sudden release of pressure along active faults and in area of volcanic activity. The earthquakes occuring in India is rlated to the former as volcanic activity is almost. The earthquakes occuring in India is related to the former as volcanic activity is almost no–existent in this region. Now the occurrence of earthquakes in India can be satisfactorily explained according to the theory of Plate Tectonoes. There vibrations in the earth’s surface are associated with the movement of lithospheric blocks, termed as Plates.
Due to several areas of crustal instabilty and weak formations, earthquakes frequently occur in India. But all the earthquakes are not of the same intensity. Based on the intensity of earthquake recorded on Modified Marcalli scale (M M), the Indian Standards Institution has published a map of India showing five seismic zones. The given figure shows these zones.
- Zone I – Feeble, risk of no damage.
- Zone II – Strong, risk of slight damage.
- Zone III – Very strong, risk of moderate damage.
- Zone IV – Destructive, risk of heavy damage.
- Zone V – Very disastrous, risk of destruction.
According to seismological studies, over 60% of country’s area comes under the moderate and high seismic zones. The whole country is divided into three seismological zones depending upon the frequency and intensity of the earthquakes:
Himalayan Zone: This includes the entire Himalayan belt from Kashmir in the west to Assam in the east. This zone of fold mountain ranges is the most prone to earthquakes in India. The states a Jammu & Kashmir Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, the Bihar–Nepal border and the North Eastern states, especially Assam fall in this zone. This is known as the zone of maximum intensity where tectonic earthquakes are very frequented due to crustal instability caused by the movement of the plates. The primary mechanism responsible for the earthquakes in this zone is the Plate Tectonics. It is estimated that the Austral-Indian plate is pushing in the north and north-east direction at an annual rate of 5 cm. The thrusting of the Indian plate in the Eurasian Plate causes friction and tension which result into devastating earthquakes. The region along the Himalayas, where two plates meet is highly earthquake prone. The Himalayas have not attained isostatic equilibrium and are still rising. Seismologists are of the opinion that there are two well–defined shear zones in the Himalayas– (i)the Main Central Thrust (MCT) separating the Greater Himalayas from the lesser Himalayas; and (ii) the Main Boundary Thrust dividing the Lesser Himalayas from the Siwalik hills. Scientists have found that maximum earthquakes occur between these two thrusts indicating that the joints are in a state of high tension. Here the epicentres of the earthquakes are found mostly at a depth of 20 kms beneath the surface.With the Indian Plate continuing to thrust under Asia, a Himalayan front fault has been formed between the Siwaliks and the Indo–Gangetic Basin as a result of which three major gaps have been identified by the scientists in Kashmir. Garhwal and Nagaland which may lead to major earthquakes in this region. Three earthquakes of higher then 8 magnitude on the Ritcher scale have occured over last 100 years in the Himalaya. The new tension built due to continued movement of Indian Plate may lower devastating earthquakes in Garhwal-Kumaun area and the Uttarkashi earthquake of 1991 (6.1) and Chamoli earthquake of 1999 (6.8) may be a prelude to it. However, the absence of Nepal from the list of earthquakes shows that the whoel of Himalayas are not dangerous.
The Indo-Gangetic Zone: In the immediate neighbourhood of the Himalayan Zone just south of it and runing parallel to it is the Indo-Gangetic Zone.Most of the earthquakes striking this zone are of moderate intensity of 6 to 6.5 on the Ritcher scale. Therefore, this zone is calledthe zone of comparative intensity. Here again, the occurrence of several faults, some parallel to the Himalayas and others transverse, are the main cause of crustal instability. These plains have been formed through the infilling by the river deposits of a fare deep which was formed after the formation of Himalayas. There, these plains have been compared of unconsolidated alluvial deposits and the structure is soft. This zone is also affected by the earthquakes occuring in the Himalayan zone. Due to high density of population, even an earthquake of moderate intensity (just above 6 on Richter scale) may cause immense damage to property. This has happened in case of earthquakes of Delhi (1803, 1960), Bihar (1934), West U.P. (1956) and North Bihar (1988).
The Peninsular Zone: This zone spreading over the Indian Peninsula is generally considered a stable block. This region is therefore called ‘the zone of minimum intensity.’ But severe earthquake of Koyna (1967); Lattur (1993) and Jabalpur (1997), etc. have cast doubt about the seismic stability of this zone. In fact, beneath the Peninsular surface, there are a number of old faults which at times get reactivated due to collision of Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate and the resultant pressure on this landmass. The earthquake of January 2001 in Bhuj was also the result of activation of Allahbund and Cambay fault in that region.
Q7. Examine the national Forest Policy of India. (2000)
Answer :
India is one of the member of small elite group which has forest policy in operation since 1894. In 1952 and 1988 revisions where made in this forest policy. The national forest policy of 1952 recommended that the country should aim at a coverage of one-third of the total land area under forests. It has suggested the extention of tree lands on river, canal, banks and in such areas which are not suitable for cultivation.
The main plank of the revised forest policy of 1988 is protection, conservation and development of forest. It’s major objectives are:
- Maintenance of environmental stability through the preservation and resturation of ecological balance.
- Conservation of forest as a national heritage with vast variety of flora and fauna.
- Conservation of natural heritage
- Control of soil erosion and denudation in catchment areas of rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
- Check on the extension of sand dunes in the desert area of Rajasthan, and along the coast.
- Substantial increase on forest cover through massive afforestation and social forestry.
- Meet the needs of fuel wood, fodder and minor forest products for the rural end tribal people.
- Augment the productivity of the forest to meet the national needs.
- Encouragement of efficient utilization of forest produce and optimum substitutions of wood.
- Taking steps to create massive people’s movement with the envolvement of women folk to achieve these objectives and to minimise pressure on existing forest.
- Envolvement of people in forest management under joint forest management schemes.
Q8. Examine the nature and extent of environmental degradation in the Himalayas. (1998)
Answer :
The Himalayas are an example of a fragile eco-system. Their significance in terms of their soil-forming, water providing and bio-diversity attributes has been discussed under Indian Physiography. The Himalayas also face environmental degration of various kinds.
- Deforestation: Clearing of forests, mainly through illegal felling has laid bare vast stretched of hills, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Shivaliks, Bengal Himalayas and the North East. This has a direct effect on water and soil resources. The run-off on the hill sides will only be halted, and water will percolate into the earth, where there is good tree cover. The fact that so many ountain springs have dried up in recent years is the direct result of the reduction in number of tree of our hills. Also, because of loss of surface cover, soil erosion occurs. This leads to siltation of rivers causing the raising of their beds. This is the root cause of floods in northern and eastern India which occur with regularity now.
- Landslides and Landslips: Wherever the human activity comes in direct contact with the mountains, landslides, and landslips are a common phenomenon. Deforestation and improper land management are the prime reasons for this.
- Erosion Along Mountain Roads: Although improvement of infrastructure in the hill areas has been a priority in national and state plans, construction of roads is an important factor in environmental degradation of the Himalayas. The damage to the terrain starts with the destructive fuel gathering practices by large groups of labourers who are brought in for construction work, and later by the human itself involves the handling and movement of large amounts of earth and rock. Hillsides are blasted, trees are fell, roots are exposed and multilated. The exposed soil is washed away by rains and there are frequent landslides when the rains are heavy.
- Overgrazing: This problem is particularly serious in Punjab and Himachal foothills in the Shivalik range. This has caused gulleys peculiar to the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, called chose, which get flooded during rains. The overgrazing by large goat pollution has caused largescale erosion in this region. The goats not only pull off leaves and branches but they also uproot the grass.
- Shifting Cultivation: This highly destructive and uneconomic agricultural practice is common in Himalayan mountains and forests inhabited by the tribals in the North-East. Because of increasing population, the ‘jhum cycle’ has come down from 30 years to 5-10 years at present. This does not allow enough time for the forest cover to regenerate.
Q9. Evaluate the nature of ecological problems in India and suggest measures for their management. (1997)
Answer :
Environmental problems in India can be classified into two broad categories:
(a) those arising as negative effects of the very process of development; and
(b) those arising from conditions of poverty and underdevelopment.
The first category has to do with the impact of efforts to achieve rapid economic growth and development and continuing presures of demand generated by those sections of society who are economically more advanced and impose great strains on the supply of natural resources. Poorly planned developmental projects are also often environmentally destructive. The second category has to do with the impact on the health and integrity of our natural resources (land, soil, water, forests, wildlife etc.) as a result of poverty and the inadequate availability, for a large section of our population, of the means to fulfill basic human needs (food, fuel, shelter, employment etc). Needless to say the two problems are interrelated.
A serious problem is related to the fast depletion of forest cover in the country. Our forest wealth is dwindling due to:
- overgrazing,
- over-exploitation both for commercial and household needs;
- encroachments;
- unsustainable practices including certain practices of shifting cultivation, and
- developmental activities such as roads, buildings, irrigation and power projects.
The recorded forest cover in the country is 75.01 million hac. which works out to 19.5% of the total geographical area against the broad national goal of 33% for the plain areas and 66% for hilly regions. Even within this area, only 11% constitute forests with 40% or more of crown cover. According to the state of Forest Report, 1991, the actual forest cover in the country was 64.07 million hectares during 1987-89.
The loss of habitat is leading to the extinction of plant, animal and microbial species. According to the Botanical and Zoological surveys of India, over 1500 plant and animal species are in the endangered category. The biological impoverishment of the country is a serious thrat to sustainable advances in biological productivity. Gene erosion also erodes the prospects for deriving full economic and ecological benefits from recent advances in molecular biology and genetic engineering.
Our unique wetlands, rich in aquatic and bird life, providing food and shelter as also the breeding and spawning ground for the marine and fresh water fishes, are facing problems of pollution and over exploitation. The major rivers of the country are also facing problems of pollution and siltation.
Our long coastline is under similar stress. Our coastal areas have been severely damaged due to indiscriminate construction near the waterline, coastal vegetation including mangroves and sea grasses is getting denoded.
Our mountain ecosystems are under threat of serious degradation. Extensive deforestation leading to the erosion of valuable topsoil is threatening the livelihood security of millions of hill people. Equally serious is the downstream effects of the damage done upstream, Indo-Gangetic agriculture, often described as a potential bread basket in the world, is being damaged beyond repair as a result of soil degradation.
Some areas are facing problems of waterlogging and rising water tables because of poorly planned and till executed irrigation. In other areas, the water table is receding because of over-exploitation of ground water. The excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides impose threat to human health, to the genetic stocks and reduces the natural soil fertility in the long run.
Compounding these human-inflicted wounds on natural ecosystems and life support mechanism, we are facing serious problems of pollution and unsanitary conditions especially in urban areas. Pollution arising from toxic wastes and non-biodegradable consumer articles is tending to increase. Megacities are emerging and urban slums are expanding.
Measure for Ecological Management
- Adoption of a new forest policy (1988) with the principle aim of ensuring ecological balance through conservation of biological diversity.
- Management plans for identified wetlands, mangrove areas and coral reefs.
- Formulation of a National River Action Plan.
- Surveys by the All India soil and Land-Use Survey Organisation.
- Treatment of catchment in selected river valley project in catchment of flood prone rivers.
- Assisance to states to control shifting cultivation.
- Assistance for reclamation and development of ravine areas.
- Eco-Talk Forces of ex-servicemen for ecological restoration through afforestation and soil conservation.
- National Environmental Awareness Campaigns for creating environmental awareness through non-governmental organisations.
- To create environmental consciousness through education and mass awareness programmes;
- Launching a time bound national campaign for population stabilisation with the small family as a socially responsible objective;
- Enactment of laws for appropriate land uses to protect the soil from erosion, pollution and degradation;
- Micro-level planning to develop appropriate methodology and implementation of action plan by involving the people at the village level in social forestry programmes, landuse planning, afforestation etc.;
- Building up a network for assessment and monitoring of soil and water (surface and ground water) quality throughout the country which should be on a permanent basis as in the case of meteorological stations;
- Control and abatement of pollution of water bodies from municipal and industrial wastes generated from urban habitats by intercepting and diverting such wastes away from water bodies;
- Classification, zoning and regulations for maintaining the quality of the water bodies to protect and enhance their capabilities to support the various designated uses.
Q10. Critically examine the relationship between deforestation and environmental degradation with specific examples from any one region in India. (1995)
Answer :
Forests have a wide ranging ecological significance. Deforstation introduces distortions in man-nature intrection and results into degradation of environment. The Himalayan case study statisfactorily proves this point.
Himalayan case study: In Himalayan region forests were considered to be lifelines of the economy and social life. It provides food,fuel fodder to human population, rich shrubs for medicinal uses and adds rich humus to the soil. The roots of trees have capacity to hold water and soil. Thus they check soil erosion.They reduce surface flow of water and allow underground movt. Resultantly, the water table is maintained and floods and reduced. Due to addition of rich humus to the soil the fertility is very high-and when it is brought down and spread in the plains the productivity rises.
Impact: This region has witnessed a rapid deforestation process-for the purpose of timber, human settlements and industrialisation-that has thrown the entire ecological process out of gear.
- It has set a chain reaction in ecological system that has accelerated soil erosion.
- It adversely affects subterranean flow of water and it cannnot be relied upon in times of Emergency-resulting in drought.
- Due to rapid surfce-water flow we see greater incidence of floods.
- Due to heavy soil erosion-we find siltation in plain course and often the beds of rivers get elevated and the rivers spill over their embankments resulting in flood. Kosi barrage in North-East Bihar can be taken as example.
- In the Himalyan region-deforestation has led to displacement of population especially tribal population and wildlife
Conclusion: Deforestation has also led to feeling of isolation among people of this region and has impeded the growth of national integration. The demand for Uttarakhand is an example. Movements like “Chipko” launched by non-governmental organisation (NGOs)have not only awareness but have also encouraged active participation of masses in conservation work. Tribals should be associated with the process of protection, regeneration and development of forests.
In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.
For UPSC Prelims Resources, Click here
For Daily Updates and Study Material:
Join our Telegram Channel – Edukemy for IAS
- 1. Learn through Videos – here
- 2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs – here
- 3. Daily Newsletter – Get all your Current Affairs Covered – here
- 4. Mains Answer Writing Practice – here
