Kezhokhoto Savi
Advocate & Environment Activist
World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 and to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment. The theme for World Environment Day 2023 will focus on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign – “Beat Plastic Pollution”. The Day is supported by many non-governmental organisations, businesses, government entities, etc, and similarly Jakhama Village, Dist- Kohima which is 16 kms away from state capital is all set to celebrate the ‘World Environment Day’ 2023 in the village with various activities including free distribution of tree plantation organized by Jakhama Youth Organisation.
The time has come for us to develop a sense of urgent need to protect our environment as well as a sense of hope for its future. Plenty of damage has been done to the earth, and more is inflicted every day. The cumulative threat to life as we know it is real, and our children and grandchildren stand to inherit the consequences. Environment means and includes all living and non-living things that surrounds us, the inter-relationship which exists among and between them. However, during the last few decades there has been tremendous environmental degradation, largely due to human activity. These changes upset the ecological laws, thereby shaking the balance of human life.
Jakhama Village is a blessed village with God’s creation; the beautiful and rich natural resources, thick jungles and rivers namely Kehorii and Tsiichorii which are the life-line of the villagers. We are to protect these rivers by not littering or throw any waste into these rivers, do not allow to set up stone crusher and vehicle wash near the rivers, do not remove rocks/stones nor use any appliances which would harm fishes, etc. To protect thick jungles and mountains we are not to allow stone quarry either at the foot hill or on top of the hill. We are all aware of the natural disasters which are occurring such as landslides, soil erosion and floods but the more seriousness is the short supply of water. Why all these things happening? It’s because of our cruelty, we are not taking up our duty. We are not looking after the beautiful creation of God. Why are we destroying the beautiful environment? Together let us protect our trees especially the trees on Dzükou road, jungles, mountains and the rocks that surround us and in the rivers. However, Jakhama village is a potential village for Ecotourism. There is a fine line between ecotourism and eco-destruction. A delicate balancing act exists in preserving the earth’s most beautiful places while also introducing these natural treasures to curious travellers. In its purest form, ecotourism offers responsible travel and sightseeing activities that conserve the environment by sustaining the well-being of the local people and not harming the precious places and cultures involved. It means visiting a place, learning about it, and leaving it intact.
Generally speaking, environmental degradation denotes the lowering of the quality of the environment. It is the neglect of conservation of nature and natural resources and our failure to mitigate natural and man-made disaster that have been responsible for environmental degradation, impairing the capacity of the environment to sustain its life-support system. Human activities such as deforestation, cutting of timber for commercial purpose, fossil fuel combustion, and burning leads to change and global warming. Global warming is the important threat to humanity. Among the most severe consequences of global warming are a faster rise in sea level, more heat waves and droughts, resulting in more and more conflicts for water resources and property destruction. In order to fight for the menace of global warming, vigorous efforts should be made. Trees should be planted everywhere and vehicles should be made eco-friendly.
“This land is your land, this land is my land”. What land belongs in the hands of private owners, and what land should remain open to the public for all to enjoy. Land is one of the world’s most important natural resources. It provides humanity with food and shelter, among numerous other things contributing to human survival. However, it also provides for the very existence of the plant and animal worlds. Therefore, it is important to protect and conserve our natural resources including air, water, and forests in order to maintain the overall health of our environment as all of these resources are at some risk today.
Water has become increasingly short in supply as the human population soars. Obviously, more people reside on certain place that means more water must be consumed to sustain humanity as a whole. An abundance of safe, clean water is a necessity for all life. By protecting rivers and their related ecosystems as well as searching for new sources of water, even in the form of preserving trees in the jungle and rocks in the rivers, we can assure ourselves of a substantial supply of this crucial substance in the future while still protecting important fish and wildlife habitat. And it’s real not a matter of wanting to do it but of needing to do it. If humanity does not have enough clean drinking water to support in the future, nothing else will matter.
It is a call upon the citizens of the state – “Together let us protect our trees especially the trees lying on our roads, jungles, mountains and the rocks that surround us and in the rivers as these are the main sources providing us good environment in air and water supply. Together let us save our land and our people. The air that we breathe, the water that we drink, the food that we eat, and the house where we find shelter and refuge all come from the environmental. May Nagaland remains beautiful, safe, fresh, free from danger now and for the next generations.
