Meghalaya is rich in natural forest resources. Besides timber, a number of non-timber forest produce, including cane, bamboo, broom-grass and other commercially important grass species, mushroom, orchids, oil-yielding trees, honey and wax are extracted from the forests every year in large quantities.
During the past few decades, there has been considerable deterioration in the environment here. Air, land, water and vegetation are under considerable strain. The major environmental problems result from population pressure, conversion of forest land into agricultural fields, deforestation, urbanisation, mining and industrialisation.
The increasing anthropogenic stresses of various kinds are likely to further aggravate the problems. At 77 per cent, Meghalaya has the highest forest cover in the country but there is a serious problem when it comes to the quality of forest cover. Of the 77 per cent green cover, only 2 per cent is very dense forest and 45 per cent is moderate forest, while the rest falls under the category of open-forest which is hardly a forest.
Shifting cultivation, which is widely practiced in the state, besides mining and growth, also adds to the depletion of forest cover.
The development model followed in Meghalaya is “exploitative” instead of being “sustainable” as the state is steadily witnessing loss of agricultural land, large scale soil erosion, water scarcity and other environmentally degrading effects.
According to a report, water pollution, population explosion and deforestation/jhum were the three top problems in Jaintia Hills, while water scarcity, biodiversity loss and water pollution were the major problems in Garo hills. It added that in Khasi Hills, the four most important environmental problems were water scarcity, biodiversity loss, soil erosion and urbanisation.
Due to the rising human population in the state, the pressure on forest land for cultivation has increased. Coal mining has damaged the environment to a large extent in the state through forest clearing, and increase in acidity of soil and water.
The key environmental concerns in Meghalaya constitute deforestation, fragmentation of forests, soil degradation, biodiversity loss and contamination and silting of water bodies. Despite a Supreme Court ban on felling of trees, reckless and rampant axing of trees is still reportedly continuing in the state for the purpose of production of charcoal or for the wood-based industries in parts of Ri Bhoi.
At a time when rapid urbanisation is taking place in the state and the capital city of Shillong, frequent cutting of trees has become a cause for concern, the environmentalists of the state have stressed on the need for large scale afforestation programmes in the state.
Being rich in minerals, particularly limestone, coal, shale, bauxite, laterite. The Jaintia Hills district has become a boon to the cement industry. The setting up of such industry exploits natural resources of the area and can lead to imbalance in the ecosystem.
The process of deforestation has many detrimental impacts on life, property and environment of the living system like soil erosion, global warming, water scarcity etc.
But in order to check the detrimental effects due to deforestation, there should be effort to encourage sustainable forest management in order to maintain ecological balance, public awareness should be created against the hazards of deforestation,etc.
“Plant a Tree, Grow a Flower, Let’s Give Mother Earth Back Her Power.”
An environment is the natural world that surrounds the earth and makes a particular geographical area in which human being, animals and plants and other living and non-living things exit.
Natural environment plays a great role in the existence of life on earth and it helps human beings, animals and other living things to grow and develop naturally. But due to some bad and selfish activities of man, our environment is getting affected.
Meghalaya means the “abode of clouds” in Sanskrit. The capital city of our state is Shillong which is a popular tourist destination of our country. English is the official language used for communication.
The state is the wettest region of India, which receives an average of 1,200 cm of rainfall per year. Mawsynram and Cherrapunji hold the record for the heaviest rainfall.
Meghalaya is a complete ecological unit of earth, that functions as a natural system without massive human interference, including all vegetation, micro-organism, soil, rocks, atmosphere and natural phenomena which occur within its boundaries and nature. In the last few decades, the state has witnessed rapid urbanisation in different districts. In 1991, there were 12 cities and towns in Meghalaya. The number rose to 22 by 2011. These are expanding in an unplanned manner and creating problems like increase in temperature and climate change at the local level, increase in automobiles leading to traffic congestion, increase in solid waste and domestic sewage, decrease in forested and cultivable land and water scarcity.
There was a time when the state was called the ‘Scotland of the East’ but now it is cluttered with buildings.
It is the most important topic that everyone must know how to protect our environment. Some major steps should be taken to control the problem of urbanisation like better town planning, measures to check rural migration through development activities in rural areas, appropriate legislation, creation of environmental awareness in urban areas, soliciting people’s participation in environmental management.
Meghalaya contributes about 50 per cent of biodiversity and it needs to be preserved from human activities like mining, hunting, overgrazing, jhum cultivation, over population etc.
We need to preserve the environment in order to build a healthy future. Because only “a good environment produces good society”.
Environment is the surrounding of the place where we live, which includes people, animals, plants and also air, water and land. Environment is affected by harmful gases from the smoke of factories and vehicles causing air pollution. This affects plants, animals and humans too.
Factories, business houses throw their waste matter into rivers, therefore, polluting the river with harmful poisonous chemicals that kill fishes and other animal life that live in water.
Meghalaya is a beautiful state with lot of natural resources, rivers and forest, but due to the fast development progress, hills are being removed and forests cut down to set up factories that manufacture different products. These products are useful to humans, however, care needs to be taken not to damage the environment more than what is necessary and the waste should be disposed in a proper way so that it is not thrown into rivers or just left in the forest, because then the water and soil gets contaminated by the presence of plastic and other harmful chemicals, which then is harmful for plants and animals as well as humans.
The wail of a tree
I was once green in colour,
With a mighty gown
in brown,
Full of life with swaying leaves; and birds
flocking my hands!
I was then tall and grand,
Rich and colourful,
My burly roots running deep,
Into the soil beneath!
I gave you sweet berries,
I gave you shade to rest,
I gave my precious life,
To all of you!
But lo! You cut me down,
Never with a tinge of mercy,
Oh! How I wish you had stopped,
To think, I was alive, too!
You changed my name to wood; and carved a bench
out of me,
No one can see my tears,
Still I try to be of use for you!
A mere toy in your hands, though; with no say in what lay my happiness,
I look around with a heavy heart; to meekly seek content in tearing agony!