The annual World Environment Day observance is over and done with. Hundreds of saplings have been planted across the state by well-intentioned individuals who perhaps genuinely care for the environment. But it cannot be denied that many are merely fulfilling an obligation as dictated by their organisations and sundry government departments. It is doubtful if such individuals ever return to check on the sapling they planted, say a few months later, to see if it has survived the elements or grazing cows and sheep. Also, it is amusing to note that the environment has been reduced only to greenery as if trees alone constitute the environment. Very few stop to think of our water bodies which include rivers, streams, lakes and ponds that increasingly face the onslaught of regressive human behaviour: turning all these water bodies into garbage dumps. Humans are supposed to be endowed with basic intelligence and the ability to connect their actions to certain outcomes. How does the human conscience, with which each person is endowed, allow humans to become so ruthless as to poison a living water body?
It is important here to take a holistic view of the environment which goes beyond trees, air, and water but to consider the entire system of interconnected elements that support and sustain life on this planet.In a holistic sense, the environment includes natural components such as land, water, air, plants, animals, and ecosystems. Lest we forget the environment also includes human-made elements such as cities, infrastructure and technology. Then there are social and cultural factors which include communities, traditions, lifestyles, and human interactions. Last, but perhaps not least, are the economic and political systems that determine how resources are extracted managed, and distributed. What we humans seem to miss is this interconnectedness. The environment is not separate from humans. On the contrary humans are an integral part of the environment but a gap in understanding that aspect is what has turned humans into predators. Today humans see a tree and think of timber and the money it would generate. Some humans fail to cherish nature’s beauty because they are obsessed with its monetary value. So a piece of hill or mountain is quickly turned into a quarry or mine with the land actually gasping for breath. But humans who turn nature into a business don’t feel the pangs. On June 5, did the Government of Meghalaya speak about reclaiming the abandoned coal mines? Did anyone stop near a stone quarry to ask how much quarrying is enough to maintain an ecological equilibrium in this hilly state which ironically is also trying to sell itself as a destination for eco-tourism? These glaring dichotomies have to be called out and addressed. Sadly most of these mines and quarries are in rural Meghalaya where villagers are voiceless although in the long run their own water bodies and even the air they breathe are affected.
The environment does not exist in isolation. When water bodies are polluted they affect human health, wildlife and the economy. The buildings constructed on river banks so that sewage is released directly into rivers are as damaging to our entire eco-system but humans are past caring. So, World Environment Day has become a symbolic observance. It’s time to step back and reflect on the intrinsic meaning of this day.
