Journalism of Courage
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This is an archive article published on December 11, 1997
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With only two per cent of the world's land mass, India possesses around five percent of the known living organisms on earth. A significa...
December 11, 1997 12:00 AM IST
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2 min read
With only two per cent of the world8217;s land mass, India possesses around five percent of the known living organisms on earth. A significant portion of the 15,000 plant species and 75,000 animal species found in India are threatened today, by the pressure of human activity on land and forests.
A little over 10 per cent of India8217;s flora faces extinction; many species may be lost even before their possible value is known to society.
Of the 134 most threatened plant species, 99 are in the Himalayas and North East India.
Wildlife is threatened by a flourishing illegal trade in wildlife products. Before the ban on the trade of raw snake skins in 1976, Indian dealers sold 3.5 million reptile skins overseas.
Japan imported 150 kgs of musk from India at Rs 40,000 per kg in 1980. A musk deer8217;s glands secrete at the most 40 gm of musk. So, for every 40 gms of musk one musk deer was killed.
Elephants, that were once found all over India, have now disappeared from the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Over 600 different orchid species, almost three per cent of the world8217;s total, are found in the North Eastern states of India. Many of these species may soon disappear without a trace.
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Cheerapunjee, in Meghalaya, the wettest spot on earth and once covered with lush subtropical forest is barren now.
The forest department controls 23 per cent of India8217;s total forest area, but only about 10 to 12 per cent of it has adequate tree cover.
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