45 Indian Tree species face extinction

The western ghats, the northeast forests and the Andamans might still look pristine but of late there is enough scope to believe that conservation efforts is not not taking the right direction. The loss of habitat due to deforestation and human inhabitation is on the rise if one heeds a recent report by the The World Conservation Union comprising of 83 member countries.

Shocking though is the fact that 45 valuable tree species across India is almost at the brink of extinction. And to boot, 247 tree species have touched the endangered zone.

Reasons abound, theories proliferate but the crux of the issue lies at man’s insatiable greed to overreach his frontiers of existence at the cost of these national green treasures. Flora devastation. Fauna destruction. Betrayal of nature. Whatever, habitat decline has no excuses whatsoever.

Take the following facts that need to brook real answers.

• The Ilex khasiana tree, native to Meghalaya is in its last thores, only 4 left in the high altitude Shillong Peak.
• The Actinodaphne lanata tree, native of the Niligiri Hills cannot be spotted easily. Simply because there is just one left in the Shola forest.
• The Andaman Syzygium manii, a semi-evergreen forest is almost non existent.
• There are no records for many species feared extinct since 2000.

The Botanical Survey of India has to have answers ready. But like all governmental organizations, all they do is refute the evidence and cook up statistics to pat themselves on the back. Remember Sariska and the furore. Seems like the flora in India will meet the same fate as the fauna.

The only way out is for organizations and individuals to speak up in one voice and be heard. The rot has to stop now.