Letters to the Editor: Sites that never disappoint

Sites that never disappoint

If you want to spend some calm and relaxed hours away from your routine life, then a short trip to Marngar Lake is quite worthwhile. The lake is located on the way to Umden, about seven kilometres from Nongpoh, in the Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. From Guwahati, the lake is reachable by a road journey of little more than one and a half hours. Situated in the midst of quiet surroundings, the lake is a charming site for nature-loving tourists. It’s a great place to rest and roam with the family and friends, and yet it’s not crowded. The entry fee is reasonable at Rs 30 per head. The lakeside offers an eye-catching view of lush green and can be extra enjoyable with boating. Restaurant service is also available, with fresh and tasty snacks and food at an affordable price. The water of the lake, however, has turned muddy, and a part of the lake is shallow and filled with unwanted vegetation, which has sucked up much of its charm. The management authority needs to undertake some refurbishment work on this beautiful place, which it urgently deserves.

We combined this trip with a detour to the Umiam Lake, located at a place called Barapani, 22 kilometres short of Shillong’s capital city. The Lake is an old and attractive tourism destination. The area is vast and attracts tourists throughout all seasons. The lake was created by damming the Umiam River to commission north-east India’s first hydropower project, which is still in operation. Though winter is the best time to visit Umiam, include Shillong sightseeing on your itinerary as well. However, the entry fee and fee charged for boat travel seem to be on the higher side, which deserves a decrease in rates to make it affordable for all in general. In short, a day’s jaunt relating to these two water bodies promises an enchanting experience.

Pannalal Dey,

Guwahati.

Call spade a spade

To call spade a spade is a very positive, bold sign of a tough administrator. It usually sends a very stern message to hardened criminals that you will have to pay dearly if you violate the laws, come what may. This very bold step taken by Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a state once run by SP under Akhilesh Yadav, in creating fear psychosis in the minds of the hardened criminals, is praiseworthy. During the tenure of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav, UP almost became a state of mafia rule with extraterritorial loyalty. Extortion, kidnapping, rape, and murder became almost routine. Mafias like Atiq Ahmed and co. became lawmakers under the Akhilesh Yadav government. Sleeper cells of Pakistan started ruling UP due to the appeasement policy of super secular forces like SP and BSP, who put the interests of their parties above those of the nation.

Now under Yogi, things have started changing. The then-pro-Pakistan mafias are on the run or dealt with as per law. We now feel that we have two CMs in the country, namely Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma, who have the guts to call a spade a spade.

By the way, there is a saying that those who live by guns die by guns.

Joel Gayari,

Tangla.

Project Tiger: A natural balance is needed

The nation’s Tiger Census has shown positive results, 50 years after Project Tiger was launched to reverse the severe drop in the big cat’s population. Alarmingly, there were just 1411 tigers left in the country as of 2006. In the new census of 2022, the number of tigers was discovered to be 3167 after recovering from this terrible scenario. In the previous sixteen years, the population of this threatened wildlife species has expanded by 75 per cent. The fact that Project Tiger, a worldwide effort to conserve tigers, was launched fifty years ago gives cause for celebration because, until a few years ago, Sariska’s tiger reserve was devoid of even one last tiger. A new campaign to conserve the tigers was started when the uproar subsided, and statistics currently indicate that the campaign was mostly successful.

Despite this achievement, there are still many factors contributing to the tigers’ decline, so it would be unwise to become complacent. Second, even if the number of tigers in our nation rises, the issue of where the forest for so many tigers will come from will be raised. Only a third of the forests that were under Project Tiger at its inception are still standing. Human need and greed have mostly resulted in the destruction of forests. If there aren’t enough forests in relation to the number of tigers, other issues will start to appear. The tiger’s dilemma is that it is an extremely solitary creature. The adult tiger needs a sizable territory and will not allow another tiger into its domain. When Project Tiger was launched, it was also touted as having the additional benefit of making the forest at least somewhat safe. But regrettably, the forest continued to be invaded in some way, making this hope pointless.

It is possible to turn this obstacle into an opening. In the same way that the tiger requires more forest space, it is in everyone’s best interest to expand the nation’s forest cover. The area of forests can be increased despite India’s high population density, provided the land is used in a planned manner. After all, India is no different from other places where people tend to move towards larger cities. More people could live there if the land in cities and towns was utilized appropriately. More space is Project Tiger’s most important demand. Poaching, which has not been under control, is the second significant issue. This calls for enhancing the Forest Department’s security system, in addition to other factors. To achieve this, the interests of the residents who live close to the tiger reserves must be linked with tiger conservation, coupled with enhancing the Forest Department’s security system. If they receive a portion of the money generated by tourism, the local population can have the greatest impact on tiger conservation. Man needs this natural cycle of balance just as much as he needs industry and agriculture. India is referred to as the “Gene Bank” of the world because of the country’s unique biodiversity. It is our obligation to transmit it to the following generations in a secure manner.

Abhijit Roy,

abhijitroytatanagar@gmail.com.

Recognize the

value of the earth

When did Earth Day grow into Earth Month? Does it mean that we can choose any one of the 30 days to do “it” or we should do “it” for all 30 days of the month? Well, let’s first see what they want us to do this year. Is it an easy “do”? Does it save “me” money?

According to the World Economic Forum, by the year 2050, our oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish. Essentially, this really means how much plastic we’ll be eating. Plastic, a fossil fuel product, does not biodegrade; instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces that the fish eat, and then we eat the fish. Another common destination for plastic is the landfill. Since it contains toxic chemicals, landfills then contaminate groundwater.

I suggest that we really need to try working on ending plastic pollution every day. It’s not hard, and it saves everyone’s money. Just like our trash cans, our garages, and our homes, the earth has limited space to store junk.

The theme for this year’s Earth Day is “Invest in our Planet.” So let us follow this theme and put an end to plastic.

Jubel D’Cruz,

jubeldcruz@yahoo.com.