The bid to reafforest the Himalayas
could actually backfire on its ecology.
Exotic plants which have the ability to
grow rapidly and used for the
programme are having an
anis on the soil, water and air
ha paglon. Vir Singh, a noted ecolo G 8 Pant University of
kullara iand Technology, Garhwal in
Wiliradesh, in a published study says
t aw obnalayan mountains have
n War -a great threat- because of
p al introduction of commercial
dc: pleats replacing the indigenous
vegetation.
No saidy explains that exotics like
ellypeus, poplars, silver oak, subabool
d chir pines are, by nature,
bapedim and cause disruptions in the
i rit. Such is their efficacy in
vast areas of fertile land into
l-Wiggivii deserts' that natural regeneration
tion of indigenous species is given the
go by, The report concludes that the
unique Himalayan ecosystem can be
restored only by indigenous vegetation
and warns against an 'environmental
coup' by the exotics which could totally
wipe out the indigenous species.
But the Uttar Pradesh forest
department and some government
institutions have turned deaf ears
to the criticism and are continuing
the process with the sole aim of
greening the denuded hills, though
by methods which are environmentallyunfriendly.
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