The Odisha government may have lost it. For some reason, they decided it would be a good idea to cut down existing forests to make new forests.
That’s right, they’ve cut down trees and gotten rid of wildlife just so they can say they have planted new ones and say they’ve compensated for cutting down forested land.
The projects come under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, which was implemented to make up for any forested land cleared for non-forest purposes, like tea plantations or other development.
But the reality of the project has been somewhat counterproductive. By cutting down existing forests, the Odisha government is reducing biodiversity and displacing wildlife. It has also been problematic for tribal communities who rely on thriving forests to survive.
So here are some tips for how to grow a forest in a more productive way:
- DO NOT let commercial development happen on forest land
- DO NOT plant generic tree species when you want to grow new forests
- DO NOT be a jackass. When you clear out forests, it’s not just the trees that disappear. Ever wondered where all the animals and birds and other awesome creatures go? No, of course not, because they aren't using hashtags to troll you on Twitter.
Seems doable, right?
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