Losing our Green Pasture

 

The story goes back to 14^th century B.C when Raja Jambo Lochan, while on his usual hunting mission around the present Bagh-e-Bahu fort area saw a Tiger and a Goat drinking water from the same pond. It was an unbelievable sight as to how a predator and prey were drinking water from same pond unaware of each other’s presence. This made him think that the soil of this place is so magical and virtuous that no living creature holds any enmity against each other. And this is how Jammu city was established on the banks of river Tawi.

Pic Credit: Greater Kashmir

Yesterday a very disturbing incident happened very close to the place where I live. You all must be aware of news about a Leopard which ventured into the city limits. Within minutes the news spread like wildfire and became an instant hit all across #Google and #SocialMedia platforms. Unfortunately the beast brutally injured a security guard and a wildlife department official. The beast was later captured by Wildlife department by giving a shot of tranquilizer.

Pic Credit: National Geographic

    Man-made destruction

     Pic Credit: Google Sites

Now the big question is: Why are the animals moving from their habitat into the city chaos? The simple answer is that we humans are intruding into their natural habitat for development in the name of SMART city project, real estate projects or wood smuggling. Recently the govt. announced its decision to move the Jammu High Court to Raika Forest area citing the traffic problem leading to the present location in Janipur. The locals have raised their objections to the proposed construction and requesting govt. to reconsider their decision and think some alternative solution to the problem. To construct the new High Court building, around 3000 trees are needed to be destroyed to achieve the dream of SMART CITY. But what about the living creatures who are living in these forests for centuries? Where will they go? Won’t they migrate to city area? Are we not falling prey to the predators? As a well informed citizen of the country, I understand development is the way forward but is it right to do so at the cost of natural habitat destruction? I feel it is possible to achieve development goals without disturbing the flora and fauna. And to do that, we need look beyond conventional thinking. This is where administration need to create a public forum and invite brilliant entrepreneurs and submit sustainable development ideas.

I end the post with a quote from Bob Brown, “The future will either be green or not at all”. It is on us to decide what we want. Let’s build a planet where all living creatures live without any enmity against each other like it did centuries ago.

This post is part of Blogchatter's CauseAChatter'  (https://www.theblogchatter.com/causeachatter).