Movements Started To Save Our Forests

We humans are only destroying our nature to satisfy our needs. We need to protect our environment from the greed of some of our own brothers who are invading natural resources to fulfill their unstoppable greed. So here are some of the movements started by people in order to protect our mother nature.

1) Chipko movement( Sticking to a cause)
In the 1970s and 1980s this resistance to the destruction of forests spread throughout India and became organised and known as the Chipko Movement. The first Chipko movement was shown in 1973 and in next few years it spread to other local areas of Himalayan villages in Uttar Pradesh. The movements name itself justify the movement, chipko movement was just to stick or hug the tree when the woodmen come to cut them. This movement was a huge success as 15 year ban was on green felling in Himalayan villages of that state order by Indian prime minister,Indira Gandhi. Another ban was put in district of uttaranchal. The movement spread to Himachal Pradesh in the north, Karnataka in the south, Rajasthan in the west, Bihar in the east and to the Vindhyans in central India. This saved the greenery of these states.

2) Silent valley project
A remarkable people’s movement stopped a hydroelectric project across the Kunthipuzha River and saved a pristine evergreen forest in Kerala. This movement raged almost for 10 years and even by the people who are not living in vicinity of areas that will be affected by this project. This project was approved in February 1973 but due to lack of funds, the implementation was delayed. In October 1976 the National Committee on Environment Planning and Coordination (NCEPC) sets up a task force, chaired by Zafar Futehally, to study the ecological problems that could be precipitated by the project. Work on the project is suspended pending the task force’s impact analysis. The impact of this project would be severe on the wildlife and nature present there. So, protest was organised against this project and it was successful in accomplishing its task. The project was stopped.

3) Jungle bachao andolan
This movement started to take place in early 1980s. It was because government proposed to replace all natural sal forests with teak for commercial purposes in Singhbhum district of Bihar. A total of 68 adivasi tribes took part in this movement which held in chota Nagpur plateau. This movement later spread to Jharkhand and Odisha. This movement also had a great impact and government has to change their decision of replacing natural sal forests.

4) Navdanya movement
This movement started in 1982 by Vandana shiva to promote anti-globalisation campaigns. This movement aims at promoting biodiversity conservation and organic farming.The organisation has not only helped create markets for farmers, but also promoted quality food for consumers, connecting the seed to the cooked food. The philosophy behind this movement is "The earth as one family". It is a women centered movement aims at protection of biological and cultural diversity.

5) Saving the Western ghats
This movement began in 1988 and it aims at regenerating environment in western ghats. The goal of this movement was to create an integrated Ecological perspective providing for both environmental protection and also the rights of the rural communities. It was started by local people who where fully affected by devastating affects of deforestation. These mountain ranges are older than Himalayas. promoters are also planning to rope in various ‘alternative’ voices from fields like organic farming, sustainable energy sources, and education.Beyond generating progressive practices, the initiative also plans to push for positive outcomes in pending ecology-related legal files. This movement had a majot impact in restoring nature and forest in western ghats and it is declared as world's 8th

ecological hotspots.

These were some of the very effective movements started all over the country to save environment from unsatisfying greed of some humans. These movements are an example for us that is we are determined to save our nature then we can.