Biodiversity in India: Phase I
India holds a remarkably vast proportion of biodiversity which has played a role in upholding the present diverse structure that India is known for.
Phase one of this article highlights the environmental and biological features that are unique to India. There are two massive and fertile geographical locations situated in all the four sides of the peninsular India- The Himalayas in the North and the Eastern and Western Ghats in the South, whideterminine the climatic conditions of the country and direct the monsoon winds to arid zones. Apart from these two, the Wullar Lake, Sunderbans in West Bengal, Jog falls in Karnataka, Silent valley in Kerala and Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and the rains in Cherrapunji determine the seasons in India. Also, the snow white vacation places of Shimla, the Chilika Lake in Orissa, the serene hills of Ooty and many other places, leave travelers captivated for hours.
Sadly, this has been changing over the years. The mass depletion of forest areas, which account for about 55% of the land zone, have being victims of extreme deforestation, subsequently leading to landfall, soil erosion and erratic monsoons. There was a time when Rajasthan was a vivid state with lush green forests. Now it has become a remote dry region with scarce water provision. This is why such places should be given heritage importance as, if once lost, they cannot be recovered. Every reason supporting their growth is a synthesis of natural elements and healthy environment.
The increase in the population of India and the simultaneous increase in the unending wants of the population is what motivates industrialists to hunt for more land space to erect various industries. This not only robs the land of its beauty, but also damage its capability to reproduce another plant or tree in the same place. It also diverts the clean and purified rivers or streams from their main course, and deflects the supply of water to the ecosystem. Moreover, it uproots millions of species of flora and fauna, depriving them of their basic right to live in a healthy and safe environment.
Human greed has resulted in the exploitation of national parks and waterfalls. Due to this, the climatic changes have been unpredictable. Environmental deterioration has multiplied. The unbreathable quality of air in Mumbai, the accumulation of toxicants in the river Yamuna and Ganga and the fear of loss of tigers has coerced the judiciary and environmentalists to implement new laws and strategies to overcome this problem before it magnifies to an extent that would risk the sustenance of mankind.
The acid rain phenomenon has succeeded in tarnishing the beautiful Taj Mahal.. The deep excursions into the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal by the oil rigging companies and the setting up of nuclear plants like Kundankulam, Tarapur, Narora, Rawatbhata ,Kaiga, Kalapakkam,etc; has resulted in investments of billions of rupees from the Indian government, which could have been used in protecting endangered flora and fauna.
In the recent years, the Government has realised the importance of creating an awareness about climate change among citizens through the media. Various citizen campaigns organised by the government and other NGOs like Swatchh Bharat , Narmada Bachao Andolan, Clean Air Nation by Greenpeace India, Incredible India ,etc and online petitions on exploitation of natural resources have begun attempts to curb environmental degradation. However, India still needs to go a long way in order to completely combat environmental suffering and climate change.