We test how fast our cars can go on the highway, complain about the high tolls, and brag about how quickly we arrived at our destination. But not for a second do we consider how the highway might have been built. Road construction and widening in India invariably involve the removal of trees. It hurts to see this massive destruction. Our forefathers thought it would be nice to have shade-giving trees alongside the road, so they planted hundreds of trees that were previously adjacent to the roads. However, when the time came to widen the roads, these speechless trees were an easy target. Tree cutting causes numerous environmental problems, particularly with climate change and more severe climate-related natural disasters.
I hope that our cities and the country remain green and pleasant. Trees have a huge role in keeping the average temperature low, but in some cases, cutting them down may be unavoidable. Through this esteemed column, I seek to draw the attention of the relevant authority to ensure that minimum damage is caused to the environment in the process of development.
Dikshamoni Das,
Gauhati University.