Deforestation India

Environmentalists are calling the Supreme Court's recent remark, that cutting a large number of trees is worse than killing a human being, a "wake-up call" for the Indian government and states "mindlessly" clearing green cover for development. This follows the rejection of a plea from a man who cut down 454 trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone.

Experts criticize the central government for weakening forest protection laws and highlight the alarming rate of forest land diversion for infrastructure projects like dams, roads, and railways, particularly in the Himalayan states. They also point to the failures of compensatory afforestation programs, citing low survival rates of planted trees.

Concerns are raised about the impact of deforestation on climate change vulnerability, heat waves, and the destruction of ecosystems like the Aravallis due to illegal mining. While some disagree with a blanket ban on tree cutting due to the reliance of forest-dwellers on trees, there is a consensus that large-scale deforestation for development projects must be strictly stopped, and that preserving existing forests and aggressive afforestation is crucial for India's environmental future and meeting its climate pledges.