CIA- 3

TOPIC: - Forest Resources & Natural Wealth – A Melting Ice”

Submitted by-

Anish Anand (2050205)

Submitted to-
Smt. Vidya Ann Jacob
Professor, Christ Deemed to be University
ABSTRACT
Ever since the advent of the industrial revolution, forests and their resources have been subject to
overexploitation worldwide. Forests and its resources play a vital role in managing both the
ecosystem and the economy of a country. The depletion of forest cover and resources is a
significant threat to our country’s ecosystem and economy. This research paper focuses on a range
of issues that have led to the steady decline of forest resources. Furthermore, the paper also
discusses the current forest laws and suggests solutions to replenish the precious forest resources.
The histories of humans and forests have long been interlinked. From ancient times, forests were
regarded as places of spirituality and striking imagery. They have inspired human traditions and
folklore, appearing as symbols of life, knowledge, and fertility. By studying the commentaries on
Vedas and other ancient texts it can be deciphered that forests were considered next to Gods. It
can also be concluded after looking at Kautilya’s Arthashastra and the rules and regulations of the
various rulers before the British era that protection and conservation of forest was one of the
important goals. However, ever since the British era the policies and legislations that were aimed
at forest conservation have instead undermined their true purpose. Most of these policies have been
contradictory in nature and further escalated the loss of forest resources and wealth by giving rise
to new conflicts and distortions. The paper highlights several problems in such legislations, such
as the inadequate procedures and unsound premises for defining and identifying forests,
dissonance between tribal and conservation laws; neglect of democratic decentralisation of forest
governance. The judiciary’s role has also been mentioned along with the various important case
laws. The paper concludes by proposing solutions so that forest resources and wealth could be
replenished. Furthermore, policy changes and suggestions regarding the same have also been
proposed in this research paper.

Keywords: overexploitation, forests, ecosystem, conservation, legislation

 1) FORESTRY IN INDIA BEFORE COLONIAL RULE

There is sufficient proof to show that thick woods once covered India1. The changing forest’s
structure and cover can be firmly connected to the development and change of human
advancements. Throughout the long term, as man advanced the forests started bit by bit draining.
The developing populace and man's reliance on the woods have been mostly answerable for this.
All old texts have some notice of the forests and the exercises that were performed there. Woods
were venerated by individuals and an enormous number of strict services fixated on trees and
plants. The Agni Purana, expounded on 4000 years prior, expressed that man ought to ensure trees
to have material increases and strict gifts. Around 2500 years prior, Gautama Buddha lectured that
man should plant a tree at regular intervals. Sacred forests were set apart around the temples where
certain standards and guidelines applied2. At the point when Chandra Gupta Maurya came to
control around 300 BC, he understood the significance of the woodlands and delegated a high
official to take care of the timberlands. Ashoka expressed those wild creatures and woods ought
to be saved and ensured. He dispatched projects to establish trees for a huge scope. These standards
proceeded in any event, during the Gupta time frame. During the Muslim intrusions an enormous
number of individuals needed to escape from the assaults and take asylum in the woodlands. This
was the start of a period of relocation to the backwoods. They got tremendous regions free from
backwoods to clear a path for settlements. The Muslim trespassers were all sharp trackers and
thusly needed to have patches of woodlands where they could go hunting. This guaranteed that the
trees there were not felled, and the backwoods ecosystem was not altered. The Mughals showed
more interest in gardens and their turn of events. Akbar requested the planting of trees in different
pieces of his realm. Jahangir was notable for spreading out excellent gardens and establishing trees.
In around 2000 BC, the Aryan public came to India. Their primary occupation was pastoralism
also, agribusiness so they cleared a significant measure of woods of India for cultivating. The
consuming of Khundava woods by the Kshatriya individuals was, as portrayed in the Mahabharata,
'the first semi‐historical proof of woodland annihilation in India. In Rigveda, the proof of utilizing
plants as Therapeutic spices is accessible. For making agrarian carries out, chariots, utensils as
well concerning family purposes, wood and non‐wood items used to be gathered all through Vedic
period. Notwithstanding, Ribbentrop 1(1900) contended that it didn't significantly affect Indian
timberland or the backwoods occupants, since little of the woods was annihilated. In any event,
during the Brahmanical and the Buddhist period, most of the nation was covered with woods.

From the 'Arthashastra' of Kautilya (350 BC ‐ 283 BC) and 'Indica' by Megasthenes (350 BC ‐ 290
BC), it is tracked down that the heads Maurya (321 BC – 184 BC) and Gupta (280 – 550 AD) used
to gather income from lumber and non‐timber timberland items. They even had a well‐organised
Forest Department for the administration of backwoods and woodland items. Backwoods officials
used to take drives to build backwoods cover and timberland items. In 'Arthashastra' lawful order
of woods has been given and three primary classes of woods have been named as:

(a) saved forests,

(b) forests gave to prominent Brahmans, and (c) forests for public use.

Saved forests were of two kinds:

i) saved forests for the ruler principally for motivations behind hunting, and
ii) saved forests for the state which were available to the general public.
As per the Chinese voyager Huien Tsang (602 – 664 AD), after the Gupta time frame (seventh
century AD), India's domain was separated into a few states, which were dominated by various
lords. They used to battle with one another for the extension of their realm. Adjacent to this, a few

1 “…palaeobotanical evidences testify that

there were dense forests in the country
[India]. The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic men
of India could not carry out felling of trees,
but Neolithic men used stone axes to cut
trees for constructing houses and other
purposes. However, the negligible human
population of that period hardly had any
adverse effect on the forest wealth.”
(Upadhyaya, 1991, p. 114)

2“There are evidence[s] of trees being

worshiped and respected during this period
[later Vedic and Epic age]. Deforestation was
not advocated as it would result in poor
rainfall. It has also been advocated that
those who want progress in their family and
wealth should not cut trees.” (Upadhyaya,
1991, 115)
unfamiliar attacks additionally occurred during this period. The present circumstance proceeded
until the fourteenth century. There was no arrangement for the insurance and improvement of
woodland and woodland items. The present circumstance influenced Indian woodland and
backwoods jobs unfavourably. During the Mahomedan time frame, the constant interruption of
roaming clans annihilated an enormous piece of woodland in the Indian sub-continent. The
traveling ancestral individuals used to convert timberland land into field land for crop development
or cows cultivating. The constant obliteration of woodland regions for around 750 years under the
Mahomedan rulers also hampered the jobs of unique timberland networks, who had lived for about
a large number of a long time in Indian woods regions. During the Mughal period, a couple of
woods were additionally announced as confined regions to guarantee a decent hunting climate for
Mughal rulers. Until the British pioneer time frame in India, many individuals (generally native
ancestral networks) lived in or around backwoods regions relying completely upon timberland
items. These individuals accepted themselves as genuine proprietors of backwoods with the
freedom to utilize backwoods items for their resource purposes. Custom, social just as friendly
festivals were unequivocally interrelated with the forest’s environment.

2) ANALYSIS OF THE FOREST RESOURCES IN INDIA

Forest resources have been under constant exploitation from ancient to medieval to modern times.
Moreover. The exploitation has increased with time as the forest resources are depleting the most
during current times. While there are forest management policies in place but they have either been
inadequate or the results have not been up to the mark. The reasons for this are twofold, firstly the
forest resource market is very lucrative and provides a lot of employment opportunity. The second
reason is the development policies of the government which tend to focus on fulfilling election
promises than preserving the environment. Management of forest resources at this time has proven
to be exceedingly difficult for the governments around the world as there are various different
aspects to it which requires a completely different approach for its management. Forest resources
consists of management and conservation of water bodies, land, soil system, flora and fauna, trees,
etc.

Religious scriptures
The Atharva Veda (12.1.11) 2 which was composed around 800 BC says, “O Earth! Pleasant be thy
hills, snow-clad mountains and forests; O numerous coloured, firm and protected Earth! On this
earth I stand, undefeated, unslain, unhurt.” Furthermore, another hymn from Atharva Veda
(12.1.35)3 talks about the utilisation and regeneration of forest resources, “Whatever I dig out from
you, O Earth! May that have quick regeneration again; may we not damage the vital habitat and
heart.” Forest resources also were an important underlying aspect of the Ramayana. In the
Ramayana, Rama, Sita and Lakshman took shelter in the Chitrakoot forest and devoted their life
to conserving and loving the flora and fauna until Ravana came and abducted Sita. The rich
medicinal plants derived from the forests were also mentioned in the Ramayana as Sanjeevani herb
was used to treat Lakshmana when he was wounded in battle. These are just a few examples as to
how forest resource conservation finds its basis in the ancient religious texts of India. The various
approaches towards Natural Resource Management have been comprehensively put forth in terms
of for historic, functional and futuristic perspectives in the following table:

2A hymn of prayer and praise to Prithivī or deified Earth. Artharva Veda 1000-900 BC (https://www.sacred-
texts.com/hin/av/av12001.htm)
3Atharvaveda, collection of hymns and incantations that forms part of the ancient sacred literature of India known

as the Vedas.The Atharvaveda is the oldest literary monument of Indian medicine. It is believed to be the origin of
Ayurveda, the Indian science of medicine. (https://vedicheritage.gov.in/samhitas/atharvaveda-samhitas/)
There have been many practices that destroy the forest resources which originated in the ancient
times but are still in practice. Cutting of trees in the hills for valuable timber causes denudation of
such hills which leads to rainfall rushing quickly down their bare slopes which causes soil erosion
and also prevents new trees from growing on these hills. Several tribes who do not possess ploughs
burn down entire forests for agriculture and then exhaust the nutrients and quality of soil by raising
a quick succession of crops. They then move to a new patch of forest and repeat the same process
again and destroying the forests. 4 These practices might be ancient but new practices have come
up with time which harm the forests equally if not more. Forest wealth is dwindling at an alarming
rate and is causing serious concerns for the entire mankind. Over-grazing, large scale felling of
trees for timber, over-population, illegal encroachments, forest fires are the major causes of loss
of natural wealth. Along with these reasons, a weak institutional framework and unstainable and

4Slash and burn agriculture(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash-and-burn)

Shifting cultivation (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shifting_cultivation)
environment-unfriendly development projects have come up recently but have also contributed
significantly to the loss of forests and its resources.

With the surmounting pressure of the increasing population, the governments have no choice but
to adhere to the demand and sacrifice the forest wealth. The government faces the dilemma of
taking the easy route for solving the problem by cutting the forest cover or taking the difficult route
in developing a sustainable development policy which would take a significant amount of time,
effort and money. The meat industry along with the livestock and dairy industry also pose a huge
burden on the forest resources. These industries need open grasslands for their survival and
maintenance which is usually made possible by cutting forest cover.

Western Ghats- analysis

The Western Ghats are perhaps the most important region for Indian in terms of forest resources.
It is a living laboratory of rich biodiversity and plays a key role in shaping the climate pattern and
the overall environment system of India. It is such a diverse region that it contains several inter
connected ecosystems that form an important link between the western ghats and the eastern ghats.
The Western Ghats and the Eastern ghats are important to the Indian peninsula as most of the forest
resources are derived from this region. Keeping in mind the strategic and the environmental
importance of the region, the Indian allocated funds for the maintenance and protection of this
region. The funds are allocated under Special Central Assistance (SCA) and the Hilly Areas
Development Programme. This programme was initiated through the fifth five-year plan (1974-
1979) and has been instrumental in keeping India’s Forest Policy in place. The focus of the
developmental programme has changed with time. During the sixth five-year plan, emphasis was
given to water shed development and restoring the water basins. In the Ninth Five Year plan,
preservation and restoration of biological diversity was prioritized and then in the Tenth Five Year
plan, rejuvenation and restoration of hill ecology was given more importance along with the people
whose livelihoods depend on these forests. The Western Ghats Development Programme 5 is one
of the largest and most ambitious maintenance and conservation programmes in India. It is
currently being implemented across 171 taluks across Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala. The major highlight of this programme is that the government has been proactive in
involving the local communities in the preservation and maintenance of the Western Ghats. The
locals have been educated about sustainable practices, involved in the decision making and most
importantly, the government has also shared the benefits with the local and thus incentivised the
programme which further boosts the participation of locals. The programme also has certain
schemes that didn’t perform so well but that was because of limitations and lack of effort in
implementation and not a planning issue. Overall, the programme has been a step in the right
direction and a decent example for other forest conservation programmes to be built upon.

3) DEPLITION OF FORESTS

Forests are considered the face of the earth. Their contribution to the survival of the earth is
generous; they occupy 30 percent of the earth. Without forests, we would not have clean air, water,
and food to survive. Forests support the global economy, 20 percent of income in the rural side is
generated through forests. They support the tourism industry and account for 20 percent of it
globally. Forests provide up to 40 percent of the world's renewable energy and majorly contribute
to the earth's welfare by absorbing 2 billion tons of Carbon-dioxide every year. Some of these

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://niti.gov.in/planningcommission.gov.in/docs/pl
ans/annualplan/ap2021pdf/ap2021ch10-
2.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiSv4uDo8XzAhXHZCsKHSb2BacQFnoECAQQBg&usg=AOvVaw0-V0OQnR3DYBcoizhXThYg
reasons contribute to the depletion of forests. Forests are now depleting at a quick pace, mainly as
a result of human activities along with various other natural and unnatural reasons. The depletion
of forests is a challenging crisis for humankind and must be controlled at the earliest. The Industrial
Revolution is picking up at a swift pace which is a leading contributor to the depletion of these
forests. India is home to 8 percent of the world's flora and fauna which is considered 'Megadiverse,'
along with 17 other countries. Indian forest cover is a haven for many endangered species and is
primarily a significant boost to the economy of India; it supports various industries and supports
the livelihood of approximately 275 million people in our country, which is a vast number. The
forest area in India has been depleting drastically; according to the Data analyzed by the Global
Forest Watch (GFW), 334,000 hectares of forests have been consumed in the last 20 years, while
125,000 hectares of forest have been depleted and lost owing to tiger conservation landscapes.
Loss in forest cover has been due to various reasons such as forest fires, shifting agriculture,
forestry, urbanization, commodity-driven deforestation. Among all these reasons, Forestry has
been the most significant contributor to the depletion of forests. India has been taking measures to
control forestry. However, there is a lot of pressure on forests to meet demands arising from
urbanization and developing roads and irrigation projects. India also introduced a ban on large-
scale deforestation, which has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are reducing the
destruction of forests and the burden arising from the economic side; India became the largest
Timber importer after introducing this ban. India is indirectly a cause for deforestation in countries
exporting palm oil and Timber; India's demand for these two resources has been on a sharp rise, it
has given rise to carbon emissions. According to the Forest Survey of India, the loss of forest cover
has resulted in the release of 0.037 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year, equal
to emissions produced by the consumption of 4 billion gallons of gasoline.6 Forest loss or
deforestation is escalating not only in India but throughout the world and is slowing down the
efforts to reduce the pace of climate change and the preservation of wildlife. About 30 percent of
the world is covered in forests and this number is deteriorating at an alarming rate. According to
the World Bank, the world has lost 1.3 million square kilometres of forests, of which 17 percent
is in the Amazon Rainforest, and 46 percent of the trees in the world have been cut. The reasons

6Kresek, K. and Duraisami, M., 2020. What's Happening In India's Forests? | Data and Research | Global Forest
Watch Blog. [online] Global Forest Watch Content. Available at: <https://www.globalforestwatch.org/blog/data-
and-research/whats-happening-in-india-forests/>
for the decline of forest areas seem inevitable in some cases, such as wildfires and overgrazing,
which prevent the growth of trees in such areas. The majority of the deforestation is a result of
human activities such as farming, mining, livestock grazing, which have accounted for more than
50 percent of deforestation. Deforestation affects the environment and the livelihood of millions
of people and the animals residing in these forests. Around 250 million people reside in forest
areas and depend on them for sustenance and income. Destruction of these forests would threaten
millions' livelihood, considering that the people residing in these forests are considered rural poor.
It would also destroy the natural habitat of the wildlife residing in these forests. Deforestation has
endangered many species such as the Orangutan, Sumatran Tiger, and many species of Birds.
Apart from taking a hit on the lives of humans and animals, deforestation plays a very crucial role
in the rising temperatures of our planet and has also influenced the global water cycles. These
effects could worsen the existing clean water crisis and the biodiversity. Deforestation would
remove the cover to these forests leading to the blockage of the sun's rays in the day and retention
of heat at night, which causes a significant shift in the earth's temperatures, harming the plants and
animals.7 Tackling all these effects on our environment has to be prioritized in the current day
scenario for sustainable development and for the future generations. Deforestation is something
that is inevitable and cannot be completely stopped. Efforts have to be made to reduce
deforestation. One of the primary reasons for deforestation is the desire to expand agricultural
activities, agricultural expansion is inevitable but can be done by reducing deforestation by
switching to sustainable farming practices and using new farming technologies. Efforts must be
made to reforest areas which were subjected to deforestation which would help in regenerating the
forest ecosystem. It would also replenish the wildlife, the water systems, the soil and would cloister
the carbon content. Deforestation must be viewed as a problem by each one of us and efforts must
be made by us to reduce it to maximum extent. We can do our part by switching over to certified
wood products, adapting to paperless methods of communication and information, limiting the use
of resources which require felling of trees such as palm oil, timber etc… We must also make it a
mission to plant as many trees as possible to regenerate our earth and forests. 8

7 Nunez, C., 2019. Deforestation and Its Effect on the Planet. [online] Nationalgeographic.com. Available at:
<https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/deforestation>.
8 Derouin, S., 2019. Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects. [online] livescience.com. Available at:

<https://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html>
4) CAN THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE EXISTING LAWS PROTECT THE
FORESTS?
Forests are the most significant natural resources in the country and in the world as a whole as they
cover a 1/3rd of the earth’s total area. The resources that we receive from the forests are very much
essential for the well-being of the living organisms. It is the joint responsibility of the government
and people of the nation to take all the necessary steps to save the ecological balance. To be more
specific about the legal aspect of the same, it is the sole responsibility of the government to bring
in those relevant laws and regulations to protect the elements of the forests in India. For a fact that
forest also play a vital role in contributing to the country’s economy, the government must take
utmost importance in regulating laws relating to forests and their elements.

The national and state governments are jointly accountable for the maintenance of the forests and
sustainable management of the forest resources. In light of same, there were several significant
laws brought about by both British Indian Government and the Independent Indian Government.

Important Acts Pertaining to Forests in India

1. The Indian Forests Act, 1927

2. The Wildlife Protection Act, Rules 1973 and Amendment 1991
3. The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006
4. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980
Important Policies on Forest Laws

1. The National Forest Policy, 1894

2. The National Forest Policy, 1952
3. The National Forest Policy, 1988
4. The Draft National Policy, 2018

Forest Laws in the British Period

Lord Dalhousie accentuated the need for a definite policy when the raw materials and timber
resources of the British Isles were exhausted, and they were desperate to find a new source for the
same. The actual need for the forest resources was felt during the industrial revolution.
The Indian Forest Act of 1865 was introduced by the British, which actually extended the British
colonial claims over Indian forests and their resources. In 1878, the Forest Act of 1878 was
established. The provision of this Act set up a virtual State imposing business model over the
Indian forests from a legitimate perspective. Further, the Indian Forest Act, 1927 was introduced.
This is known to be the landmark law, though it had nothing to do with conservation, the significant
part is that it categorizes the forests into reserve, village and protected forests. 9

Forests Laws in the Post-independence Period

The Government of independent India passed the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 to check upon
the deforestation and to conserve the forest lands in India. Though this act brought in various
objectives, in reality, it just transferred the deciding powers from concerning the forest lands from
State to the Centre.

The National Forest Policy, 1988 was enacted and this was an extreme change in the methodology
towards the management and conservation of forests compared to the previous enactments.

In 2006, the Government of India enacted the Scheduled Tribes and the Other Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006. This act basically clarifies the criteria to be a forest
dweller and the kind of rights forest dwellers get under this act. 10

After analyzing the laws that were regulated by the GOI and the British Government, it is evident
that there no actual intent to bring in measures to protect and conserve the forests in India. An
economic and a commercial view had been taken by the government.

There are measures taken by the government later, understanding the severe consequences if the
forests are exploited further. Though some significant measures are taken, few of them have been
a failure. One of those is ‘compensatory afforestation' or the CA. This is an alternative and a
compensation for the loss of forest areas in India, implemented by the government. The trees that
are grown on non-forest lands as a compensation is an unsuccessful attempt as those areas are

9 Mehra, A, 2020. Forest Policies of India and Their Evolution. [online] Eat My News. Available at:
<https://www.eatmy.news/2020/05/forest-policies-of-india-and-their.html?m=1>.
10 Explains, 2016. Evolution of Forest Rights in India from 1856 to 2006 | In Depth Analysis of FRA & Its Issues –

Civilsdaily. [online] Available at: <https://www.civilsdaily.com/evolution-of-forest-rights-in-india-from-1856-to-

2006-in-depth-analysis-of-fra-its-issues/>.
located far from the actual forest covers and moreover closer to the areas of human settlements.
Furthermore, these areas are not marked as ‘reserved forests’ which makes it difficult to apply the
sections of the forest laws regarding any offences or actions against the well-being of the forests.11

Another major aspect we look into is the Adivasi communities or the tribal population residing in
the fifth schedule areas or forest areas. The Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act,
1996 or the PESA remains disempowered as 40% of states under its purview has been unsuccessful
its implementation. 12

A Hope for Forest Conservation

The Joint Forest Management (or Participatory Forest Management) ignites a new hope in terms
of forest management, protection and conservation. This includes the participation and the
contribution by the NGOs in decision-making, policy advisory, etc. The Panchayats and Zilla
Parishads add a political support to the JFM process. This also includes local forest protection
bodies and their suggestions for the betterment. 13

A better participation by the public would add on to a better management and conservation of
forests in India. The right to public support is additionally featured as a vital piece of the idea of
feasible development through the New Delhi Declaration of Principles of International Law
identifying with Sustainable Development, 2012, and in addition to this The Forest Rights Act,
2006 accommodates a right of investment in the decision-making measure for occasions where the
proposed movement could prompt resettlement or unfavourably sway the forest-dwelling
community. The Escazu Agreement and Aarhus Convention also provide significant drive to
improve transparency in environmental governance.

In favor of this, it is to be noted that, in the Niyamagiri case, the Supreme Court had to intercede
to guarantee that the Dongria Kondh community could state their free, earlier educated assent right
and invalidate the proposed mining extraction project which would affect their way of life and

11 B K Singh, The New Indian Express. 2021. Compensatory afforestation has not been successful. [online] Available
at: <https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2021/feb/08/compensatory-afforestation-has-not-been-
successful-2261019.html>.
12 Pandey, K., 2021. 25 years on, many Indian states haven’t implemented a law that empowers Adivasi

communities. Available at: <https://scroll.in/article/988729/25-years-on-many-indian-states-havent-implemented-

the-law-that-empowers-adivasi-communities>.
13 A. K. Mukerji, Forest Policy Reforms in India - Evolution of the Joint Forest Management Approach.
vocation. This was the first ecological mandate through which a native community could declare
their public support right. 14

It is an eternal hope among the Indians that the laws brought in by the government protects the
forests and their elements and take utmost interest with the same. The law is the only genuine tool
to bring in strict measures that restrict the ones who intend to misuse the forest resources for their
personal gains. Therefore, forest laws have a significant role to play in the conservation of the
green lands and maintenance of ecological balance.

5) SOLUTIONS REQUIRED TO SAVE FOREST RESOURCES IN INDIA

Our forest resources are very crucial in our lives. They serve us well. There is a lot of
dependence on forests by human beings. It helps in creating a healthy ecosystem for animals,
birds, and other species. Forests play an essential role in creating oxygen for us human beings.
It filters out the carbon dioxide from the air and, through that produces oxygen for us to breathe.
If the trees are not protected, then we are endangering ourselves. We are doing this by cutting
down all the trees to increase infrastructure and ensure developmental projects occur. These
forests also play a crucial role in ensuring that climate change does not happen in our Planet
Earth. Climate change takes place due to the increase in levels of greenhouse gases. These
greenhouse gases increase the chances of climate change occurring. There can be an increase
in levels of temperature. Due to these, we see an increase in ocean levels, which happens due
to the melting of glaciers and icebergs. Now we have talked about the few benefits of forests
and its important role. But nowadays our forests are being cut down for our own benefits.
However, these benefits are not for the right reasons. Our forests need to be saved to maintain
ecological balance. Hence, we will look at ways to conserve our forests.

1) The role of indigenous communities in conserving our forests- Nearly 68 million people
belong to these types of tribes and have lived in the forests throughout their entire lives. They
live in the closed areas of the forests. These types of people consume or eat raw and uncooked
food. They may consume raw flowers or fruits. These people have developed a close bond and

14Prasad M, D., 2021. Why India Needs A Better Public Participation Framework For Environmental Governance.
[online] Jurist.org. Available at: <https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2021/05/deva-prasad-environment-india/>.
 relationship with the forests and have spent their entire lives there. There are many ways in
which they have preserved the forests. These include - 1) Conservation through religious
methods: These forest tribes have a deep faith and belief in nature gods and goddesses. They
believe that to conserve the ecology and the environment, and we must have a deep belief in
the trees and plants. The tribal literally treat these plants and trees there in those forests as gods
and goddesses. They feel that their prayers would convert to positive energy for these plants
and trees who may have a long life in the future. 2) Saving crop plants to be consumed as
sources of food- These tribals also try to conserve the crop plants in the forests, so they can be
used later for consumption. These include various crops such as rice, millets, and grains. These
crops have been consumed by tribes who belong to the regions of the North-East of India. The
names of these tribes are as follows: - a) Jhatin b) Garo and c) Khasi tribes. They have also
been conserved in regions of Central India. The tribes here are as follows: - a) Santhal b) Gond
and c) Munda tribes. These are the Acorus calamus, the stem bark of Bunchania Ianzan, and
Bombax ceiba. So, these are the ways in which the tribals play an important in conserving
forests in India. 15

2) Importance of Planting trees in saving our forests: - Due to the increasing population in
the world, the requirement for modernization increases. More and more people come into large
cities for their jobs. Due to this, to accommodate these people, the government authorities
invest in more infrastructure and developmental projects. The trees thus get down due to
accommodate space for the roads and the infrastructure project. This is in the cities, where
there is no forest as such. But we have been seeing lately that many developmental and
infrastructure have been initiated in the forests. This has led to the cutting down of trees in the
forests. These trees act as a home for many species. Areas of the Western Ghats, which is
considered one of the eight hotspots of biological diversity in India, have been taken down to
ensure that infrastructure takes place in this area. Many species that consider these forests their
home have lost their original habitat due to increasing urbanization and infrastructure. The
ways in which we can solve this is by planting more trees in empty spaces. This will play an
important role in restoring the ecology and giving a new lease of life to the species that have

15Rai, R. and Nath, V., n.d. The Role of Ethnic and IndigenousPeople of India and their Culture in the Conservation
ofBiodiversity. [online] Fao.org. Available at: <https://www.fao.org/3/xii/0186-a1.htm>.
 lost their natural habitat. The benefits of planting trees are because: - They help in restoring
the ecology and the environment. It helps in giving us oxygen, acts as a home for wild animals
and other species. Some of the forests are the places where rivers originate in India. They help
in preserving the water. 16

3) Reducing the impact of forest fires in India- Most of the forests lose a majority of their
area due to the impact of the forest fires on them. Due to these forest fires, many animals and
plants lose their natural habitat. There can be an increase in greenhouse gases being released
to the atmosphere due to the impact of the forest fires. This leads to climate change eventually.
Recently we have seen in Karnataka that the Bandipur National lost many of its forest areas
due to the impact of forest fires. Many animals lost their homes and many were also found
dead. Hence to ensure that these types of forest fires do not take place in forests in India.
Certain methods have to be adopted. These methods are as follows: - a) The government must
ensure that a fire danger review system must be implemented. This is one method adopted in
most foreign countries to detect forests and stop them from spreading. b) The government must
also educate the forest communities on the correct and effective use of forests fuels in the
forests. Most of the time, the forest communities are unaware of the dangers these fuels may
cause to the forests Even a small light of matchstick may cause havoc in the forests. So, this
can be controlled by educating the forest communities on the efficient use of forest resources.
c) Placing systems where the weather can be detected. It can also be attributed to the fact that
forest fires occur due to drought-like conditions. A system must be implemented to look at
whether drought-like conditions are there in the forest.17

These are the solutions that must be implemented so that our forests resources are not exploited.
Our future generations must have the chance to witness the forests in their full glory and we
must strive as individuals to preserve them. This can be done by framing ideas and most
important the implementation must occur at the ground level. Otherwise, the ideas would be

16 Nelda.org.in. 2020. Why Everyday Should Be A Tree Plantation Day - Importance Of Planting Trees. [online]
Available at: <https://www.nelda.org.in/blog/category/importance-of-trees/why-everyday-should-be-a-tree-
plantation-day-importance-of-planting-trees>.
17 2018. Strengthening Forest Fire Management In India. 1st ed. Ministry Of Environment, Forest and Climate

Change.
of no use. In all fairness, our forest resources must be saved so that we can have a brighter
future and, in the future, we must continue to save it.

CONCLUSION

The paper highlights the significance of forest resources and its utilization since the ancient
times to modern times. The paper takes into account the forest management principles
mentioned in the ancient religious scriptures along with the modern laws that constitute the
forest policy of India. Certain case studies such as the forest resource management in Western
Ghats have been analysed as well. Recognizing the fact that forest management does not
receive enough political or social attention in India, the paper is an attempt to bring forth more
attention to this very important issue that not only India but the world faces today. Participatory
management of forest resources is the need of the hour along with sustainable development
and a comprehensive policy framework, in order to create an ecological balance between
humans and mother nature. Interrelated existence of all living beings is what ecology is all
about and there is no important time than right now to remind us all of this fact.