a message to heed

True that humans or Homo sapiens are the supreme of all the beings that exist today. Their ability to think and transform even the most impossible into possible makes them invincible but, does it mean that they can defeat everything so created-naturally, without repercussions? 

The answer perhaps, may be debatable by many intellectuals. But for a minute if we can stop to think, the answer is almost negative. To challenge that which is natural or formed naturally is an invitation in itself to disaster and destruction. And to what extent, the effects can be felt and gauged almost other year that passes by with some heavy destruction or damage that nature inflicts on us.

What Phailin did this year or what the disastrous landslide did to the heavenly abode of Lord Shiva some months ago is not unknown. What we are doing on a day to day basis is not under cover either. In the name of development we can see a greater erosion of green cover that is an inevitable necessity. However, losing our conscience to the comforts of a few square feet of concrete beauty, we decide to forget something very important – conservation of natural resources, forest cover and trees plantation in urbanized areas.

To illustrate how the depletion of green cover is impacting our day to day living, we need not travel far. Take the case of Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. The patch from Raj Mahal square to Vani Vihar square which once, wore a green cover enviable to others is now gone- fading in fact! The summers are unbearably hot as the impact of the heat is more than direct. There are no tree shades to protect during those hot afternoon hours or there be any in the near future. The reason for such depletion is nothing but our own need and desires to stretch as much as possible our carpet of comfort giving it different names and terminologies- beautification, infrastructure development etc. 

While on one hand we have dedicatedly put our development and ease as a top priority, on the other hand, we forget that if that this is all we want to achieve at the cost of some trees and greenery, then, we are heading to a future where there will be an Ozone layer only in history books and none above us.

If we cannot ponder over the issue now, which is already late, and then there will be a time, when we will be left to live, to the mercy of time and its assaults. Himalayan glaciers are fast melting thanks to the global warming, there are manmade islands coming up as a result of some magnificent engineering by some stalwarts who have been successful in diverting the regular flow of water to enable the structures stay strong even in the currents and now, plans to live on Mars… when are we going to stop assaulting the nature in name of development either by force or by choice? 

While there is much that one can speak in length about the atrocities that we commit on the silent beauty called earth and its green cover, I would like to end the article with a small question – what would you want to gift your future and generation next with – clean and green environment or polluted and depleted environment ridden with all sorts of ailments/ nature’s assaults ready for your future generations?  

It’s your call. Think before you cement your home sans trees.