Unscientific afforestation activities cause more harm than benefit to nature, said wildlife expert Sanjay Gubbi.
Delivering a talk at a programme organised by Karnataka Sangha in Shivamogga on Saturday (July 29), Dr. Gubbi said many people assumed that creating forests was a simple thing. Planting saplings or seed ball plantations in the name of the Environment Day celebrations do not help much.
“It is not proper to plant saplings in a haphazard manner. People hardly use their minds when choosing varieties of plants for a forest. Human beings cannot create or recreate forests. Only the wildlife can do this, “he said.
The wildlife cultivates the forest depending on its needs. “The best we can do is conserve the existing forest. If we do not stop damaging forests, future generations will suffer,” he said.
In the name of building highways and other development projects, vast tracts of forest have been razed. “We do not understand the value that forests have been contributing to the nation’s economy. Common people need to understand its value,” he said.
Karnataka Sangha president Sundar Raj, Rotary Club Shivamogga Jubilee president Renukaradhya and others were present.
