Money, barren land can’t replace damage: Experts
The authorisation for forest diversion is granted by the Central Government under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for various development activities in the country. The compensatory afforestation of non-forest land and degraded forest land in the equal area is to be taken over by State governments to reimburse for the loss of forest cover.
However, experts say that money or barren land cannot replace the damage caused to biodiversity with the destruction of forest land.
According to Dr Bubesh Gupta, Director of the Universal Eco Foundation, Puducherry, one hectare of the moderate forest contains at least 1,500 to 2,000 trees and plants that belong to 50 to 100 species. Several reptiles, mammals, and birds also inhabit forest lands. These include butterflies, birds,
and snakes among others.
Speaking to DC, Dr Bubesh Gupta said, “When development activities are carried out adjacent to the forest, it can cause a lot of disturbance to the core forest area. Birds, reptiles, and mammals are forced to search for a new place when forest land is destroyed. While many inhabitant species may find that challenging, some even stand the risk of dying in the resultant boundary conflicts. Being familiar with the area, the threats, the water bodies, and the food availability in their location is vital to the very survival of the species in any location. Some of them may not survive after moving to a new territory. Although several compensatory measures have been taken, a carbon copy of destroyed forests cannot be recreated.”
Describing the Tamil Nadu Snake Venom Extraction project, Dr Bubesh Gupta said, “We would catch snakes from the forest to extract venom and then release them back into the forest in the same place where we had caught them. If, however, we were to release the snakes elsewhere, we’d be making it difficult for them to survive as they would then be left at the mercy of unfamiliar territory. Likewise, many other species are put at risk when they are forced to move to new places.”