War for Mattewara won

IN a pleasant and progressive rarity, the tussle between ecology and ‘economic development’ has ended with the victory of the former without much ado. The Bhagwant Mann government’s decision to shift the proposed textile park project from the site bordering the ecologically sensitive Mattewara forest zone near Ludhiana is commendable. The swiftness with which the government has retreated and given in to the demand of the protesting stakeholders – the concerned green warriors from all walks of life, spearheaded by the Public Action Committee, an NGO — affirms a commitment to saving the forest from deforestation and degrading effects of industrial effluents. Thankfully, as a result, those seeking to protect and preserve the Mattewara forest were not compelled to take the long-winding path usually seen in such matters — that of approaching the NGT or the court.

Holding promise for improving biodiversity by increasing the area under dense tree-laden woods rich with flora and fauna, this decision will give the state much-desired impetus for correcting its dismal record on saving forest cover. With just about 3.67 per cent of its area under forests as compared to the national average of 21.71 per cent, Punjab stands among the bottom two states, the other being Haryana. Adding to its woes, the state has been rocked by multi-crore forestry scams reeking of a politician-official nexus, as also the timber mafia. The house urgently needs to be set in order.

Even as the government will now scout afresh for 1,000 acres needed for the textile units, equally reassuring is the CM’s commitment that the riverbanks will be spared so as to keep the rivers clean. Incidentally, the Mattewara woods border the Sutlej river. However, while a potential hazard has been avoided, the AAP government has lots to do on the ground. The greening and cleaning efforts need to be done on a war footing in order to reclaim natural resources amid the challenges posed by sewage-filled water bodies, depleting water table and desertification of the land.