VOLUME-I, ISSUE-I, JULY-OCTBER-2012

ROLE OF SOCIETY IN LAND, FOREST & WATER CONSERVATION

Dr. Madhav G. Rajpange Anandrao Dhonde Alias Babaji College, Kada.(M.S.)

Abstract
Our environment provides us a variety of resources both biotic and abiotic, to sustain life-support systems but heir huge consumption across the nation and society following a rapist and centrist tendency to attain economic growth somehow, anyhow or at whatever cost in a short period has created severe stress and strain on resource base land, water, forest, minerals etc. culminating in emergence of a variety of environmental problems at various levels and scales. It calls for an introspection of the problems and then placing on record the role played by individuals and institutions in rehabilitation our environment as a basis of resource utilization for sustainable life styles. Here certain observation as to environment problems associated with imprudent deal of the society with resource. Trinity-land, water and forest particularly during the last two centuries have been precisely presented. It will be in the fitness of things to point here some corrective measures the citizens on this earth have to adopt to prevent further damage to the environment which they are part of and have sacred duty to protect (it). Key words : Society, Resources, Environment, Development, Degradation, Sustainability and Participation.

Introduction :
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During the recent past the greed of the rich and need of the poor coupled with misuse and overuse of the resources with scant regard whatsoever for the life support system have accounted for considerable degradation of our environment. In fact at present humans are consuming 40 percent more than what earth can sustain resulting in serious problems of pollution, depletion of ozone layer, global warming and climate change along with loss of forests, soil and bio-diversity. All these pressing issues and problems have rather forced us to feel concerned with the fast changing scenario of environment. The United Nation successive meets at Stockholm (1972) on Human Environment, At Rio de Janeiro (1992) on Environment and Development, at Kyoto (1995) on Climate Change, at Johannesburg (2002) on Sustainable Development and recently at Bali 93-14 December, 20070 on Climate Change bear testimony to the same. Although there has been noticed some change in peoples attitude towards mother earth, still there is desired a lot more to create awareness and a sense of belonging among people towards judicious use of resources and protection of environment. Even today we feel that managing all this is responsibility of the government. We are now at the crossroads. Our numbers are growing rapidly, and with change in numbers, everything is liable to change. So unless concerted and united efforts are made now, tomorrow it may be too late. However, all is not yet lost and with careful environment management much can be saved and or repaired for the future. It is pertinent to note that individually as well as collectively we can play an important role in this endeavour by way of acting as watchdogs and keeping the government and other agencies abreast with the changing state of resources and environment bringing to focus the causal factors and processes involved in it. The role of public awareness is vital and the press and media can add a lot to our efforts in this direction. Politicians in a democracy also always responds
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positively to a strong publicly supported movement. The announcement of a committee on State Agrarian Relations and the Unfinished Task in Land Reforms to look into the demands of over 25,000 marchers (Janadesh 2007 movement) on various livelihood issues related to land and assurance of its implementation within a time frame by the Central Government is an example in point (Tripathi, 2007). Each of us should promote and practice the ways and means which safeguard the environment and inculcate good civic sense and hygiene. There have been several Government e.g. Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) etc. and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) like Bombay natural History Society (BNHS), World Wide fund for Nature India (WWF-I), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) etc. that the creating interest in protection of environment and conservation of nature and natural resources. Like institutions, there are several internationally renowned environment thinkers and activists who have made landmark contributions in shaping the environmental history of our country. Notable among them are Sundarlal Bahuguna, Salim Ali, S. P. Godrez, M. S. Swaminathan, Madhav Gadgil, T. N. Khoshoo, M. S.S. Varadan, Medha Patkar, Anna Hazare, Rajendra Singh, Balbeer Singh Seechewal, M.C. Mehta, Anil Agarwal, Sunita Narain, Vilas Salunkhe, P. R. Mishra, Sandeep Pandey Etc. Each of these thinkers looked at the environment from his own distinct perspective. Our environment provides us with a variety of resources both biotic and abiotic- to sustain life- support system but their huge consumption across the nation and society following a rapist and centrist tendency to attain economic growth somehow, anyhow or at whatever cost in a short period has created sever stress and strain on resource base-land, water, forest, minerals etc. culminating in emergence of a variety of environmental problems at various levels and scales. It calls for an introspection of the problems and then placing on
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record the role played by individuals and institutions rehabilitating our environment as a basis of resources utilization for sustainable life styles. The Problems ; Rapid population growth and unbridled economic development have far reaching consequences both for the human well-being and environmental health. Pessimistic (conservationists) and optimistic (technologists) have conflicting views and ideas on this issues. The publication like The Population Bomb (1968); Population, Resources and Environment (1970); The Limits to Growth (Meadows et. al., 1972) and Our Common Future (1987) have expressed serious concerns with growing scarcity of resources and emergence o host of environmental problems and issues. The problems related to resource and environmental are varied in nature, large in number and alarming in magnitude. For limitation of space, here only problem regarding land, water and forest which have affected the major chunk of humanity across the globe have been precisely presented.

Land Degradation: The major means for increasing the food security for a growing population has been conversion of more land to agricultural use. During the last fifty years there has been phenomenal increase in the net sown area in our country, from 118.75 million ha (1950-51) to 142.23 million ha (1999-2000) i.e. increase of 23.48 million ha. However, due to huge population the per capita cropped are available is only0.19 ha as against 0.88 ha in USA, 1.25 ha in Argentina, 2.12 ha in Canada and 3.39 ha in Australia. Most of the best agricultural land, however, is
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already in production. The sordid part is that each year prime agricultural land is being lost either through expansion or urban areas and other developmental activities or degraded through unhealthy agricultural practices, over grazing, over irrigation, flooding, soil erosion, toxicity (from use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides). Etc. Every years between 5-7 million ha of land worldwide is added to the existing degraded farm land (Bharucha, 2005). In our country due to a host of anthropogenic and natural factors, soil erosion is contribution to degradation in about 45 percent of the cultivable area of the country (Varadan, 2002). The estimates of wastelands range from 76 million ha to 175 million ha. In a densely populated country like ours, one cannot afford to let so much land remain idle. Besides, agricultural land has been steadily polluted through non-point pollution of agro-chemicals; the consumption of fertilizers increased from 0.07 million tons (1951-52) to 18.39 million tons (2004-05) in a bid to boost the agricultural production and productivity. Similarly, to ensure good harvest of food grains the consumption of all sorts of pesticides has increased from 2.35 thousand tons in 1955-56 to 52 thousand tons in 1997-98. It has not only degraded out soils, but through agriculture run-off has also polluted both surface and ground water and being part of food chain system has adversely affected human health and wealth (Singh, 2006) Besides, there exists an acute inequality in landholdings. The number of marginal (<1 ha) and small holdings (1-4 ha) and small holdings (1-4 ha) constituting 57 and 32 percent of the total farming population and that of landless is continuously increasing due to increasing pressure of population. Rural rich owning 44 percent of the total cultivated land remain indifferent to the problem due to large land holdings (>10 ha) while poor are incapable to do much in maintain the soil in place. Under the existing scenario the cherished goals of social
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and economic equities cannot be achieved. The Padayatra of over 25]000 dalits and tribal people of eighteen states from Gwalior to New Delhi, walking 26 days (Oct. 2 to 26, 2007) covering 350 km in true Gandhian style to gift for various livelihood issues related to land clearly reflects the state of social and economics inequities. On the other side the Government has made a plan to earmark the land under Special Economic Zone, SEZ (SEZ Act, 2005) mainly to attract foreign investment. The number of SEZs with formal clearance now stands at 396, of which 149 have been already notified (Times of India, Oct. 20, 2007). Thousands of hectares of land including cultivable ones are being grabbed from the peasants in the name of SEZs. As a result anger is brewing. Ongoing tussle since last 11 months against the land acquisition for a proposed chemical hub in Nandigram (East Mindapore district, West Bengal) may be taken as an eye opener. For the SEZ at Nandigram, the proposed are is close to 12,000 acres which is a fertile multi-cropped land. Similarly, several other proposed SEZs are equally massive or even larger. The main plank of the farmers protest is acquisition of their fertile land with which the settled peasantry have deep socio-economic and emotional attachment and that too on a throw-away prices and without any guarantee for employment in the past 10 months here was worth Rs. 4 Crore. About 50,000 man days of work have been lost, adding to the misery of the under employment in the area (Chattopadhyay, 2007). Farmers in Uttar Pradesh have also started their protests against the acquisition of their cultivable land for upcoming eight lane 1000km long and 100m wide Ganga Expressway from Ballia to Noida. According to Rajendra Singh, a well known water conservationist and Magsaysay award winner, this project would consume at least 80000 ha fertile and cause and annual loss of Rs. 250 crore in the form of good grains (Times of India, January 7, 2008)

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All these may prepare the ground for public movement in various parts of the country. Water availability: Water in spite of being available in abundance covering 71 percent on the earths surface is scarcer in usable form and is getting scarcer due to spiraling patterns of consumption following rapid industrialization, ever increasing population, deforestation and intensive agricultural. It is to be kept in mind that only a little less than 3 percent of all water is fresh water. Of this, 2 percent is locked in glaciers and icecaps and merely 1 percent usable water is found in rivers, lakes and sub-soil aquifers. Even this much water is unevenly distributed and utilized among the within the countries. As predicted by the World Commission on Water, half of worlds population will live under conditions of severe water stress by 2025 (World Development Report, 2003). Excessive and unwise uses of water on the one hand and deteriorating water quality on the other have compounded the situation. It is feared that future wars will be fought over water, not oil. It was in view of the gravity of the situation that the United Nations declared the year 2003 as International Year of Fresh Water and also the Government of Indias followed suit. Each year we celebrate Water Day on March 22 nd to highlight the importance of water for humanity. Studies indicates that person needs a minimum of 20 to 40 litres of water per day for drinking and sanitation, whereas more than one billion people worldwide have no access to clean water, and to many more, water supplies are unreliable. At the global level, thirty one countries are already short of water and by 2025 there will be forty eight countries facing serious water shortages. The United Nations has estimated that by the year 2050, four billion people will be seriously affected by water shortages. This will lead to multiple conflicts between countries over the sharing of water (Bharucha, 2005).
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Being one of the wettest countries of the world, India is rich in water wealth. Indian rivers carry to the ocean about 16,45,000 million m3, almost ten times the annual rainfall in the country (Valdiya, 1987). Still insecurity persists. We receive rainfall just for 100 hours spread across 100 days while the requirement is spread over 365 days (Singh, 2003). As a result, serious water shortages occur in many regions, partly due to uneven precipitation (over time and space)- the only source of replenishment, and partly due to excessive water withdraws for various uses. The inequities in distribution of water as to when and where it is needed and inaccessibility are the other dimensions of the problems. Inequities are so sever in cities that the poor often make it with an average of 16 litres. Presently bare 38 percent of all households of our country (urban: 65 percent and rural: 29 percent) have access to drinking water at home- a situation after 50 years of trying. (Saran, 2003). Water is increasingly becoming a source of conflicts between upstream and downstream users. The action plans to cleanse the Ganga and the Yamuna- the two holiest rivers of our country are testimony to our concern. The crisis further depends with water quality degradation owing to mixing of waste water of various sectors and leaching of contaminants. Due to proper quality of water, incidence of waterborne and water related diseases are increasing. The World Bank and WHO have estimated that every years 1.5 million children under 5 years die here of water borne diseases. Not only this, 21 percent of all communicable diseases are water related (Indias Development Report, 1999-2000), Floods and droughts- the two extreme ends of the hydrological cycle related with too much and too little water respectively also create crisis situation. Therefore, the need of the hour is to ensure a continual and adequate supply of water of requisite quality for various uses without endangering the life of the reserve or the source. This task may be

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accomplished when the country men make water conservation a mission. It requires a massive water education initiative. Deforestation: Another dimension of impact of population growth and economic development on environments relates to forest. Surprisingly in spite of being fully aware of the role of forests in stabilizing climate, optimizing water yield, maintaining ecological balance by curtailing CO2 emission, reducing run-off and soil erosion, these are today in bad shape both in terms of nature and extent. It is simply because of treatment of forest as an economic asset rather than as an ecological component. According to a report of United Nations Environment Programme, Global Environment Outlook-4, 4500 square miles of forest are being lost across the world each year. Thus, the bio-diversity register of the planet is becoming thinner day by day. Some 30 percent amphibians, 23 percent mammals and 12 percent birds are under threat of extinction due to human activity, while one in ten of the worlds large rivers run dry every year before reaching its natural ends- the sea (Times of India, 28 Oct., 2007). The forest depletion in developing countries with large population density is very severe. Even more pathetic is the state of tropical forest where the rate of deforestation far exceeds a forestation statistics. In tropical America and Africa, and 4.0 million ha / year of closed forest respectively are depleted as against only 0.4 and 0.1 million ha/years of a 4.1 ha/year of afforestation there (Rao, 1990). It has been proved that tropical deforestation adds to the green house effect. In opinion of Myres (1989), 30 percent global CO2 emissions in 1989 were due to tropical deforestation. That is why gradual depletion of tropical rainforests has a global concern. Despite knowing the multi-dimensional effects of deforestation on land, water and other environmental resources, to-day, the country has only 19.39
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percent of its geographic area under forest cover (State of Forest Report, 1999). The dense forest constitutes 11.49 percent while the National Forest Policy of 1952 and 1988 has recommended that India should have at least one-third of its total land area under forest cover. The picture is more gloomy when we compare the situation of states and union territories with the national average. As many as twelve states and five union territories have the forest cover well below the national average. Not only this, as many as fifteen states and union territories also have per capita forest area well below the national average of 0.05 has (State of Forest Report, 1997). The usual effects of depletion of forest resources are the erosion of top soil, drying u of water sources and siltation in watersheds, rivers and other rain harvesting areas. Extensive investigations carried out so far have revealed that (i) Extensive deforestation leads to increase in CO 2 which even at the present rate is about 0.5 ppm per year contributing to an overall global temperature increase, (ii) typically estimated run-off in deforested areas is about 40-50 percent as against 20 percent or less in forested areas and (iii) the erosion rate in a deforested area is estimated to be about 7 tons/ha as against less that 1 ton/ha in the forested areas (Rao, 1990). And yet, there is no curb on this. The global response has been, indeed, woefully inadequate to solve this crisis. Society in environmental management: Land, water and forest form a major part of our national wealth. If we have to improve our living standard and secure acceptable quality of life for future generations, land must remain productive and fertile, water unpolluted and forests worth regeneration. But this task can be accomplished only if each of us plays a sincere role in rehabilitating our environment. Environmental concerns are no longer the exclusive domain of a few activities. These have rather become the concerns of the people at large. Better, it becomes a peoples movement with
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strong public support rough participation of the stakeholders in every projects/ developmental activity so as to promote harmonious relationship between man and nature. It is in the fitness of things to quote Khosso (1991): Environmental has to be set right by the people and has to be for the people. The focus of individuals as well as communities should centre on integrated contribution in the efforts for conservation and development. Hereby people can help themselves and address local issues creating association with it. During the past couple of years people in various regions of India have cone novel work by mobilizing the people for their participation and inculcating awareness among them to protect their environmental movements have initiated a new political struggle for safeguarding the interests of the local people. Chipko Andolan and Save the Bhagirathi and Stop Tehri Project (in Uttarakhand), Narmada Bachao Andolan (A struggle for just resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced people in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat), Appiko Movement in the Western Ghats (in Karnataka), the campaign against Silent Valley Project (in the Malabar region of Kerala) etc. Are some of the important environmental movements, which are an expression of the socio-ecological effects of narrowly conceived development based on short-term criteria of exploitation (Karan, 1994). In addition, there are local movement against deforestation and acquisition of land for SEZs etc. Movements like Pani Chetana, Pani Panchayat, Jal Yatra etc. advocate emphasis on ecological principles for water use. Whenever, wherever and whatsoever a big project comes, it renders thousands of people homeless and in the process also thousands of acres of agricultural/forest land is lost. Not only this, these projects separates many more people from their economic resources and social networks. In the context, widespread protest works if the interest of local people and locals are involved and
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it has grassroots support. In majority of the cases, the beneficiaries are almost exclusively outside entrepreneurs and their customers. Local people get work as guides, porters, gardener, milkmen or manual laboures. The usual effects of these development activities remains the depletion/ degradation/scarcity of local resources including agricultural land. Therefore, it is imperative that environmental activities should highlight the movements purpose through workshops, training session and rallies. The success of any movement depends on the unity of people irrespective of sex, age, case, ethnicity, religion, class and region and stress on shared interests in saving the environment (Karan, 1994). The aforesaid non-violent environment movements have provided a path for the resolution of conflicts over natural resources. In additions, the participation of local communities and other stakeholders in managing projects related with land, water and forest has helped in increased of the pace of regeneration, recharge and productivity. In majority of the cases, it has been observed that most of the people including authorities reaming insensitive and indifferent towards the problems. So, to get rid of the problem there is required attitudinal change and change in the mindset to have economic gains through short-cuts and peoples involvement in safeguarding the environments and management of natural resources. Many persons with the co-operation of local people have done and sure still doing novel work in this regard. Sukhomajri village located in Shivalik range of the Himalaya in Haryanas Ambala district presents a model of community participatory management for the rest of the country right from early 1980s. There people have been utilizing their forest and water to their benefit. The credit goes to P.R. Mishtras steady attempt which regenerated the local environment through change in attitude of the 80 households of the village in late 1990s. Also, the success story of Ralegaon Siddhi Village (Ahmednagar, district, Maharashtra) presents a model
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of environmental conservation for ht people across the country for which the credit goes to Anna Hazare, a social activist. Balisana village located in the dry Patan district of Gujarat presented another example of community drive to solve the crisis of water pollution (fluoride) through harvesting rain. The villagers took the help from an Ahmedabad based non-governmental organization, UTTHAN. Tarn Bharat Singh (TBS), a non-governmental organization run by Rajendra Singh popularly known as water warrior helped the villagers of Bhaonta- Kolyata of Alwar district (Rajasthan) to revive old johads (traditional earthen dams) on the condition that the villagers have to take upon themselves the task of regeneration. As a result they have water in their erstwhile dry wells round the year. Now they have proved that economic well-being is a by-product of ecological regeneration. To ones surprise, since 1986, 238 water harvesting structures have come up in the catchment area of the rive Arvari (Alwar District). Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay recipient for community leadership in 2001, was the instrumental in the rebirth of the Arvari river and revival of other five rivers that had gone dry in Alwar and Karauli district of Rajasthan. Likewise, 160km long polluted black Bien river of Punjab revived into a pure and clean stream due to clean up campaign of Saint Balbeer Singh Seechewal, popularly known as Sarakowala Baba. All these demonstrate that one can handle the work even without government help. It only requires a whole hearted approach in solving the problem of common interest. The community Based Organization (CBOs) and NGOs have although proved their crucial role in forest management. Yet, it has been observed that dominant communities till tend to call the tune at the expenses of the marginalized groups (Varadan, 2002). Safeguards, therefore, need to be built into the constitution of CBOs and their functioning to ascertain participatory equity in the long run. The another unfortunate truth is that most of the watershed projects have
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failed to generate sustainability because of the failure of government agencies to involve the people. True, until there is peoples participation in planning and execution of the project, it may not inculcate a sense of ownership among the people. So, fostering a sense of ownership is a must to ensure the success of any programme. The success stories of the above mentioned and some other projects stand testimony to the fact that participation and involvement of local communities matter a lot in managing and regenerating their resources, economy and environment. Community participation is not only confined to management of the land, water and forests. EXNORA International voluntary NGO (Chennai) has created widespread environmental and civic awareness by promoting direct community/street involvement in voluntary efforts of waste management and keeping the environment clean and green. The entire scheme is managed by the residents of respective street and community and it gives great satisfaction to all the participants and beneficiaries. The principle of community involvement has spread through the civic EXNORA movement which at present has between 900950 civic EXNORA, functioning in different parts, of Chennai. A similar kind of participation and involvement is required to save the river Ganga-the holiest of Indian rivers. Lakhs of rupees and almost 25 years have been wasted under the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) which was launched at Varanasi in 1986 during late prime Minister Rajiv Gandhis tenure. But the sacred river Ganga still continues to get polluted. Prof. Veer Badra Mishra, a professor of hydraulic engineering and also mahanth of Sankat Mochan Temple has initiated Swachchha Ganga Abhiyan (Clean Ganga Campaign) since last 25 years under the banner of Sankat Mochan Foundation (SMF). He wants committed people to join hands with SMF voluntarily to clean the holy river Ganga and make it pollution free. Concluding remarks:
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The combined effects of greed and need of the society coupled with ever increasing numbers trying to attain prosperity through short cut approach i.e. somehow, anyhow and at whatever cost have put great stress and strain on our natural resources, particularly the basic one-land, water and forest. The fact remains that despite being indispensible for the very survival and sustenance of humanity, the resource trinity-land, water and forest is subjected to reckless exploitation rather than its treatment as very base of life support systems. Thus its misuse and over use has caused a cumulative effect reflecting in degradation of environment, low productivity, low income and lack of sustainability in development. In order to have harmonious relationship between development and environment and in this bid to take the stock of the situation United Nations convened several global meet of world leaders and specialists from time to time starting from Stockholm (1972) to Rio de Janeiro (1992), Kyoto (1997), Johannesburg (2002) and Bali (3-14 December, 2007) to discuss the issues of wide and far reaching consequences concerning the mankind and environment. It is, however, encouraging to note that people are becoming gradually aware of the varied problems arising out of increasing land degradation, waster scarcity and forest depletion. It is, therefore, right time to educate the people at various levels more and more about their role as an individuals and a part of society in management and protection of the resources and environment. The change in mindset of both haves and have nos towards mother earth along with their commitment, participation and involvement in the programmes and projects associated with human and environmental well-being is the need of the hour. It is only the earnest efforts and wisdom of the stakeholders that can save the humanity from food insecurity and environmental risks. Hope social scientists will succeed in delivering the goods to the masses in minimizing human sufferings by re15

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examination the issues and problems afresh and translating the theory into action/ practice.

References : 1. Bharucha, E (2005): Environmental Studies, Universities Press (India) Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, pp. 13-49 2. Chattopadhyay, S. S. (2007) : Fanning the Flames, Frontline, Nov. 17, pp.27-32. 3. 4. Ehrlich, P. R. (1968) : The Population Bomb, Ballantime, New York. Ehrlich, P. R. and Ehrlich, A. H. (1970) : Population, Resources, Environment, W. H. Freeman & Company, San Francisco. 5. Karan, P. P. (1994) : Environmental Movements in India, Geographical Review, Vol. 84, No.1, pp. 32-41. 6. Khoshoo, T. N., (1991) : Environmental concerns and Starategies, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, pp. 1-8. 7. Meadows, D. H., et. al. (1972) : The Limits to Growth, Universe Books, New York. 8. Myers, N. (1989) : Deforestation Rates in the Tropics and Their Climatic Implication, Friends of the Earth, London
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9.

Rao, U. N., (1990) : Space Technology and Forest management with Specific Relevance to Develping Nations in Space and Forest Management, 4th IAF, Dresden, Germany, pp. 1-10. Saran, R. (2003) : How we live, India Today, July 23, pp.34-42. Singh, A. L. (2003) : urban Water Supply and Occurrence of Diseases A Case Study of Low-income Households of Aligarh City, In D. N., Singh et. al. (eds) Water Crists and Sustainable Management, Tara Book Agency, Varanasi, pp. 250-266. Singh, S. (2006) : Environmental Geography, Prayag Pustak Bhawan, Allahabad, pp. 518-541. Tripathi, P.S. (2007) : Rallying Forces, Frontline Nov. 16, pp. 24-26. VAldia, K. S. (1987) : Environmental Geology- Indian Context, Tata McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Limited, New Delhi, pp. 91-136. Varadan, M.S.S. (2002) : Guarding the Green Blanket, The Hindu Magazine, March 17. Varadan, M.S.S. (2002) : Watershed Management People Matter, The Hindu Magazine, June 2. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) : Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

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