Editor,
This year’s World Environment Day theme is Forest: Nature at your service. The UN must have carefully chosen this theme, upon clearly seeing the indiscriminate destruction of forests just to satisfy the selfish whims and fancies of man. Shillong is already a disorganized concrete jungle. Our policy makers are myopic. They can be likened to an unproductive and ever thirsty sandy patch that is encroaching upon whatever little greenery that still remains. Desertification would be the outcome if nobody halts them in their tracks.
The efforts of the NGOs should be lauded for trying to protect the forests because they are knowledgeable enough to realize that forests can afford us with a good quality of life. Shillong is crammed up with vehicles big and small each emitting gases that could potentially kills us. Carbon dioxide alone in large amounts in the atmosphere is hazardous. Only the greenery can protect us from the harmful effects that could result from the accumulation of such a gas. Moreover, the roots of the plants are important to retain the water and refill the drying up water table.
The cause brought up by the organizations to save Tara Ghar is genuine and any right thinking person needs to join hands and unite for our voices to be heard. The future of the generations to come lies with us. Our indifference would spell doom for our children and grandchildren.
Yours etc.,
Reuben Shabong,
Via email
