Apropos the edit “Green cover-up” (February 15), it’s hardly surprising to see that we have lost 367 square kilometres of forest in the past two years. What could one expect given the speed with which we are encroaching on forested land in the name of infrastructure development? Our lopsided approach to development that pays no heed to environmental concerns will yield disastrous consequences sooner than later. It is also not surprising that Andhra Pradesh has recorded the highest decline in forest cover; this is a state where illegal mining has become the norm of the day. Attributing the loss to Maoist activities is indeed unconvincing and, at best, a mockery of the issue. It is about time we probe deeper to determine the real cause of depleting forest-covers and take adequate measures to check it.
Bal Govind Noida
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