Lacking: Sensitizing people about 'balanced use' of natural resources

By Vikas Meshram*

The world is constantly developing in various ways, but this development is also inviting numerous challenges and crises. While these problems persist, few are taking on the important role of addressing them. According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, the demand for resources has exceeded nature's capacity. With the rise of multinational corporations and market forces, the trend of overutilizing natural resources has intensified.

This overexploitation is creating new issues, and at the same time, global environmental crises are emerging. The rapid changes in climate and seasons, a direct result of meddling with nature, indicate that such interference could lead to major disasters for humanity. Melting glaciers, tsunamis, ice storms, droughts, and unseasonal rains are clear signs of this crisis.

For the past three decades, scientists have been concerned about what alternatives can be used in place of natural resources and which measures can help mitigate the impact of these natural changes. The United Nations is especially worried about the reckless exploitation of natural resources.

Coal reserves may last for at most 90 years, petroleum for 50 years, water for 50 years, and minerals for only 50 years. Beyond that, they are unlikely to sustain. Due to severe water problems, future water wars could erupt, especially in West Asia, where water wastage is at its peak.

From the perspective of natural wealth, India is one of the richest countries. However, the exploitation of natural resources is causing several problems and crises. Despite efforts to raise awareness, people remain uninformed. The waste of water has led to severe water shortages in thousands of fields and cities across the country, with drought-like conditions persisting in many areas year-round. Because of droughts, grain had to be imported, though the food crisis stems more from insufficient storage than from a lack of production.

Thousands of acres of land lie uncultivated, which, if improved, could resolve the issues of oilseeds and pulses. The central and state governments have launched several schemes to increase the production of oilseeds and millet, but despite these efforts, little has changed. Moreover, floods that occur annually in Bihar, Assam, and many northeastern states cause loss of life and property due to poor management. Fertile soil layers are carried away by rivers into the sea, which significantly affects agricultural output.

If proper water management is implemented, the scarcity of clean drinking water can be alleviated, and all the essential needs of daily life and agriculture will be met. After globalization, under the banner of liberalization and privatization, the central and state governments have given multinational companies a free hand to exploit natural resources.

Many natural resources in the country have either been exhausted or are on the verge of depletion

As a result, many natural resources in the country have either been exhausted or are on the verge of depletion. Furthermore, the exploitation of valuable minerals, forests, mines, and various chemical products has led to numerous environmental problems. Sensitizing the general public about the balanced use of natural resources can be effective. The central government, state governments, and non-governmental organizations can play a crucial role in this.

Water resources, gardens, forests, lakes, and other natural resources are continually being destroyed. Instead of blindly following Western lifestyles, we must selflessly embrace Indian culture. The principles of fair use, development for all, and respect for nature should reach everyone. However, the root cause of the entire problem lies in the lack of organizational knowledge.

It is essential to understand what is needed for a good life, in what quantity, in what form, when, and how it should be used. The judicious use of natural resources is crucial for maintaining environmental balance and securing our future. Adopting principles of sustainable development, using eco-friendly technologies, and recycling resources are necessary steps toward this goal.

Additionally, every section of society should participate in this process and contribute to environmental conservation. This will enable us to secure a safe and sustainable future for ourselves.

---

*Social activist

Comments

Plastic burning in homes threatens food, water and air across Global South: Study

By Jag Jivan In a groundbreaking study spanning 26 countries across the Global South , researchers have uncovered the widespread and concerning practice of households burning plastic waste as a fuel for cooking, heating, and other domestic needs. The research, published in Nature Communications , reveals that this hazardous method of managing both waste and energy poverty is driven by systemic failures in municipal services and the unaffordability of clean alternatives, posing severe risks to human health and the environment.

Economic superpower’s social failure? Inequality, malnutrition and crisis of India's democracy

By Vikas Meshram India may be celebrated as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but a closer look at who benefits from that growth tells a starkly different story. The recently released World Inequality Report 2026 lays bare a country sharply divided by wealth, privilege and power. According to the report, nearly 65 percent of India’s total wealth is owned by the richest 10 percent of its population, while the bottom half of the country controls barely 6.4 percent. The top one percent—around 14 million people—holds more than 40 percent, the highest concentration since 1961. Meanwhile, the female labour force participation rate is a dismal 15.7 percent.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

The greatest threat to our food system: The aggressive push for GM crops

By Bharat Dogra Thanks to the courageous resistance of several leading scientists who continue to speak the truth despite increasing pressures from the powerful GM crop and GM food lobby , the many-sided and in some contexts irreversible environmental and health impacts of GM foods and crops, as well as the highly disruptive effects of this technology on farmers, are widely known today.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Would breaking idols, burning books annihilate caste? Recalling a 1972 Dalit protest

By Rajiv Shah A few days ago, I received an email alert from a veteran human rights leader who has fought many battles in Gujarat for the Dalit cause — both through ground-level campaigns and courtroom struggles. The alert, sent in Gujarati by Valjibhai Patel, who heads the Council for Social Justice, stated: “In 1935, Babasaheb Ambedkar burnt the Manusmriti . In 1972, we broke the idol of Krishna , whom we regarded as the creator of the varna (caste) system.”

'Restructuring' Sahitya Akademi: Is the ‘Gujarat model’ reaching Delhi?

By Prakash N. Shah* A fortnight and a few days have slipped past that grim event. It was as if the wedding preparations were complete and the groom’s face was about to be unveiled behind the ceremonial tinsel. At 3 PM on December 18, a press conference was poised to announce the Sahitya Akademi Awards .

From colonial mercantilism to Hindutva: New book on the making of power in Gujarat

By Rajiv Shah Professor Ghanshyam Shah ’s latest book, “ Caste-Class Hegemony and State Power: A Study of Gujarat Politics ”, published by Routledge , is penned by one of Gujarat ’s most respected chroniclers, drawing on decades of fieldwork in the state. It seeks to dissect how caste and class factors overlap to perpetuate the hegemony of upper strata in an ostensibly democratic polity. The book probes the dominance of two main political parties in Gujarat—the Indian National Congress and the BJP—arguing that both have sustained capitalist growth while reinforcing Brahmanic hierarchies.

Search This Blog