To stop eco-disaster

Trees actually protect and preserve the ecosystems which they support. Several steps must be taken to stop the Himalayas from  being eroded. Replanting trees will take years and years but it must be started now. Immediately further making of hydel projects must be stopped. The type of vegetation which would hold on to the soil like oak (Baanj) would be extremely beneficial. The deciduous trees of this range(biome) would create a new kind of ecosystem where the fallen leaves would give nourishment to bushes shrubs and creepers and grasses. The rainwater would be absorbed by moss, lichen  and saprophytes growing on these trees. Moreover, these trees could provide fodder for the goats reared here. The pine (chil) trees which belong to the higher altitude have come to replace the native oak (Baanj) The greed to reap resin and to get fine timber made the people to replace it with this kind of trees. The erosion could not be stopped by the pine trees which get washed away by heavy rains (their roots are not strong and fibrous enough to hold on) Fragile top soil of the lower Himalayan range need protection from the vegetation that grows on them. And over a long period of time we have experienced the devastation that loose soil/sediments can cause—floods. Forest department had not noticed the gradual changes in the kinds of trees, they just wanted “green look” So they thought pine was giving a greener look which they need to show in their reports ( on whether the forests are growing). Pine trees do not shed leaves and they do not support other plants which may grow beside them. Pine trees are green in winter too as they belong to the "evergreen" range (biome) which grow in very high altitudes where temperature is very cold. They have straight roots and cannot hold to soil in heavy rainfall. But they can tolerate light snowfalls. They cannot protect the soil as deciduous trees (Baanj) can.

We worship the water from the Himalayas, we worship the mountains as they are the abode of Gods. If our devotion for these mountains is deep, we must care for them; we must plant more deciduous trees and protect the soil. When our holy land becomes disaster zone, we must stop and think. So next time we visit the shine in the Himalayas, we will plant a sapling of a Baanj tree. And new "Sanjeevini " will sprout here, giving life to all generations to come. And our holy mountains will be bestowed with life-giving herbs and thus our souls will be blessed.

It was the sanjeevini herb from Himalayas which brought back to life the epic hero, Lakshman in Ramayana.