Clearing our forests . . .

Below are 3 snaps I took today early morning, 3:30 am when I went to the Daltonganj Railway Station. 

Bundles of wood being brought by the early morning, Gomoh-Dehri-on-Sone passenger train. Some of the bundles were covered by plastic sacks so much that it did not look to contain pieces of wood. 

If you took into account all the wood which was unloaded from the passenger train, it should total at least 3 large trees. 

I had a chat with the people bringing them. They were from Chipadohar and Barwadih railway stations. Most of them impoverished poor tribals from the interior villages. 

That must be the only source of income from these families. 

However, one cannot ignore the damage they could be causing the forest cover of the region. Couple of people told me that the consignments were lesser as it was a Sunday. 

But, one cannot ignore the right of these tribals to the forests. One can easily argue that it is dead wood. However, if you calculate the total  amount of wood which was laid on the platform today morning, it was equivalent to at least 3 large trees. 

And it is not uncommon to find similar bundles of wood being transported over road everyday . . . 

Something which should be of concern to us . . .