Goa’s Green Lungs project could be good initiative for people gasping for fresh air
It is said that a person can survive for about three weeks without food, three days without water and three minutes without air. This clearly shows that air – clean air – is a must for human survival. Trees are the generators of oxygen on this planet and dense forests are large factories producing the same. The National Green Tribunal had recently initiated a suo motu investigation into country’s dwindling forest cover, issuing notices to all states and Union territories, including Goa, for providing comprehensive reports on their respective forest conservation efforts. The Goa specific report painted a concerning picture. The once nature-blessed state has lost 921 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2023, marking a 0.63 per cent decrease since 2000. This loss contributed to approximately 490 kilotonnes of Co2 emissions, highlighting the significant environmental impact of deforestation in the region.
Goa’s Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane earlier this week announced the Green Lungs project for developing green patches in the urban areas so as to improve the air quality, support biodiversity and provide shaded public environments. The proposal is a bid to combat climate change and the rising urban temperatures, under which Green Lungs will be created within city landscapes to provide a better environment to citizens. Rane, who also holds the urban development portfolio, has maintained that the forest department, in collaboration with the department of urban development, will launch a transformative urban forestry initiative across municipalities in Goa. The spaces will be identified and developed into urban forests using wet waste, rainwater and other natural resources.
Rane discussed the relevance of urban forestry in the context of climate resilience and urban heat mitigation. Emphasis was also placed on the forest department’s role in identifying and supporting feasible sites within municipal areas for pilot projects. The proposed interventions include the transformation of degraded areas such as Sonsoddo using the Miyawaki afforestation technique – a technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, focusing on creating self-sustaining, native forests in urban areas – along with the development of gardens in certain towns.
Of recent, Goans have been complaining of fallouts of dust pollution caused by infrastructure works or even burning of plastics and grass. A recent analysis on the global air quality carried out by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) maintained that Goans may gain 2.1 years of their average life expectancy if the state takes measures to reduce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration to meet WHO guidelines. An analysis of air quality index values compiled by the Goa State Pollution Control Board repeatedly showed that air quality has been worsening in the cities and towns with Vasco remaining the most polluted city in the state. The government, in response constituted the state steering committee for air quality monitoring, the state air quality monitoring committee and the district air quality monitoring committee to address air pollution in the state.
The Green Lungs project, if implemented in right spirit could be a good initiative for people gasping for fresh air. The Goan towns and cities, until the turn of the 21st century displayed many large and small trees, which were eventually felled due to several reasons. Today, the government is trying to replant trees in the same regions. Though an absurd situation, the efforts should nevertheless be welcomed for they are targeted towards providing healthy environment for Goans.
