Save Nature for Future

Long, long ago, there used to be a village named Ashok Nagar. A resident of the said village, Vivek was an ignorant and greedy man. He used to exploit natural things from the environment for his selfish gains. From cutting numerous trees to sand mining from rivers, he used to regularly do it all. Vivek had a friend, Ram, who was very passionate and aware of the the environmental cause.

One day, Vivek was by the river mining sand when Ram happened to be passing by. On seeing Vivek, Ram ran towards him and asked him what he was doing.

Vivek said, "I plan on building a new house so I am just taking out some sand."

Ram replied, "You don't need a new house, my friend. You live in a mansion. Besides, do you realize how this activity of yours is harming the only river of our village? "

Vivek laughed and said, "It doesn't matter, Ram. The river was given to us by the Gods only for our use."

"Yes, it is for our use but there is a huge difference between using resources sustainably and exploiting them.", Ram said.

Vivek asked, "But Ram, does it really matter how much sand there is in a river? "

Ram explained, "It matters, my friend. Sand in a river enables the natural ability of water to clean itself. By mining sand, you are interfering with that process. It means that not only the aquatic life suffers but also the ground water is getting impure. Your mining is the sole reason why the fishermen of our village have lost their income as there are no fishes in river anymore."

Vivek said, "Oh it is bad. I didn't know that. So Ram, if I stop mining sand, will it help? "

Ram went on, "Partially, yes. But you must also stop cutting trees. They are very important part of our survival. They not only give us fruits and shade, they also purify the air by taking in carbon dioxide and giving us oxygen. It is said that in any given area, at least 33% land must be covered in trees but due to constant deforestation, there is less than 10% forest cover. This is extremely alarming. Also, instead of burning the dry leaves, you can make a natural manure out of them which will reduce your expenses. Burning pollutes the air which is to say that humans will suffer from health problems."

Vivek thought for a while and then said, " I now realize my mistake. Thank you Ram for opening my eyes. I will stop my harmful activities and will in turn work towards making a better environment. "

Adarsh Anand, Class 5th, DAV Public School, Jehanabad, Bihar