Mother Earth, Our Ailing Planet: My locality as a facet of it

Kangjam Lanchanba Khuman *

Just few years back, a kitchen-garden and fruit bearing trees in courtyard were a common sight in every household. Our childhood memories are filled with adventures in climbing and picking those fruits. But, such is a rare sight today in my locality.

The same is being reflected in every locality. It was also a common sight to have trees by the roadside few years back. Now, all trees have been replaced by high rise buildings, eateries, shops, etc. The broadening of National highway No. 150 that runs pass our locality has affected much of the green cover in my area.

With all green covers by the roadside being removed due to the expansion of the highway, the daily lives in the locality have been affected. People experience dusty surrounding.

There is an increase in noise pollution with no trees by the roadside to mitigate the noise of the heavy goods-carrying vehicles passing the highway. This made us realize the importance and the need to learn to coexist with the nature and not to mindlessly destroy our surrounding.

On meeting with the local Pradhan, he shared the same worry. The traditional ways of conservation of natural resources like ‘Umang Lai’ is finding difficult times in standing up against the race of development.

The destruction of ‘Umang Lai’ or ‘Lai Haraobam’ in my locality 5 years back due to expansion of Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, Imphal stands a stark example. Our natural resources are slowly being engulfed by the process of various man made changes taking place in our society in the name of development.

Meeting with Local Pradhan

However, amidst this, the locals have taken some little steps in the right direction. Our local club organizes annual awareness programme to save and conserve nature on the occasion of Irabot Day (30th September: the birth anniversary of Hijam Irabot, a celebrated freedom fighter of Manipur). This is how the local youth responds in little ways we can.

Our natural environment makes human lives possible and our cultural environment helps us define who we are. It is therefore essential that our economic goal is environmentally sustainable. It is not possible to turn back the time or stop developmental projects altogether just to conserve natural resources.

The idea is not to choose either ‘Conservation of Nature’ or ‘Development’. The solution lies in marrying nature and development. The way forward is to consciously plan for a sustainable development.