Uncertain progress

The latest report on the state of the country's forests, indicating a marginal increase in overall green cover, provides cold comfort.

The net expansion in the wooded area between 2001 and 2003 is estimated at a mere 0.65 per cent, and is too meagre to inspire confidence in the present forest protection and expansion strategy.

There is also the disquieting revelation that the area under dense forests, with a canopy density of more than 40 per cent, has shrunk.

This is a clear indication that deforestation continues unabated. What is worrisome is that this is happening in areas that are the natural habitats of wildlife.

There is, thus, every possibility that the country's wildlife may also be on the decline. The loss of valuable natural herbal wealth can also not be ruled out.

India's forest cover is only a tenth of the global average, in per capita terms. Against the world average of about 0.64 hectares of forest per human being, the Indian average works out at only 0.06 hectare.

The country has a huge population of tribals and other people, who rely largely on the forests for their subsistence; any depletion in forest wealth, whether in terms of area or density, is detrimental to their livelihood.

The density depletion also results in a decline in forest productivity.

It is clear that the country is unlikely to achieve the goal of increasing the forest cover to one-third of its territory by 2012.

Though the government has claimed that the immediate target of touching the 25 per cent forest cover mark by 2007 will be met, this is not beyond doubt.

For, as indicated by the government itself, the forest land needs of the industrial and mining sectors cannot be ignored without jeopardising economic growth.

It is true that the present policy requires mining firms to plant twice the number of trees they cut, but the gestation period for the new plantations is long.

In fact, the new plantations do not even show up in the satellite images till the fifth to 10th year after plantation, depending upon the species.

In any case, newly afforested belts cannot be an exact replica of the natural forests that normally reflect a balanced mix of plant species ecologically suited to specific areas.

Indeed, though the organised counter attack on the decrease in forest cover was launched way back in 1988, and supported by statutory measures, it has not yet succeeded fully in checking deforestation.

Even ecologically ruinous practices like jhum (slash- and-burn style of agriculture) have not been totally stopped, though these have been curtailed to a large extent.

Besides, the menace of poachers and plunderers continues. What is needed is to redouble the efforts to protect existing forests and their plant density, and go in for massive aforestation or reforestation programme, and utilising the vast stretches of degraded and partially degraded land.

This may require changes in laws concerning both forests and wasteland ownership. Simultaneously, protecting the legitimate interests of local stakeholders needs to be safeguarded by involving them in caring for forests through the joint forest management approach.

Unless they become protectors of forests, the problem of deforestation will continue.