Editorial 1 : It takes a forest
Context: How biodiversity can increase the resilience of cities?
Introduction: Every organism in nature plays a critical role in creating a balanced ecosystem. As human beings, we are only one part in this larger ecosystem and are beginning to understand this only now.
Defining a forest
- Forests are complex ecosystems of diverse organisms that interact with each other.
- It provides the ideal conditions for life, with shade from the scorching sun, and easy access to water and food.
- At an individual level, all living organisms in the forest are motivated to survive and reproduce.
- At an ecosystem level they are all connected and play a critical role in maintaining a fine balance in the system.
- Example: Reintroduction of wolves led to the revival of Yellowstone National Park in early 20th century.
Forest: A biodiverse ecosystem
- A thriving forest ecosystem houses different types of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, different from a human-made green park.
- The diversity of the forest builds the resilience and adaptability of an ecosystem.
- A thriving biodiverse ecosystem provides for clean air, water and food. It also helps in coping with natural disasters, diseases, and climate change.
Wood Wide Web
- Fungus which are found mostly on the roots of plants and trees, connects the trees and plants and facilitate communication between them.
- Research shows that if a tree gets attacked by a disease, it alerts neighbouring trees. Depending on the threat’s severity, trees either brace themselves with a protective barrier or disconnect from the infected tree.
- This underground communication network is coined as the wood wide web.
How to build biodiverse spaces?
- First Step is to study trees and organisms that are native to an area.
- Second step is to reintroduce native plants and organisms to encourage restoration of original ecosystems.
- Third step is the protection of forests and these biodiverse spaces.
- To counter the coastal erosion, mangroves and natural marine habitats needs to be protected.
- Invest in more sewage treatment plants that treat the waste the city disposes into the oceans and invest in new initiatives like artificial reefs that could enhance marine biodiversity.
- A green corridor in cities help reap the benefits of climate mitigation.
- Example: Medellin in Colombia, created a network of green corridors. It led to cleaner air and a drop in two degrees of temperature in the city.
Case in point: Mumbai
- Mumbai is home to remarkable biodiversity. With a thriving biodiverse protected forest, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits and large amounts of mangroves and wetlands on its coast, the city has a lot of native land and marine biodiversity.
- The recent over-concretisation of the city, with excessive buildings and roads is posing a grave threat to this biodiversity.
- With the creation of the Mumbai Coastal Road, connectivity in the city has been enhanced. We have a rare opportunity to create a biodiverse green corridor in the reclaimed area between the road and land.
- This along with planting of native trees could connect the biodiversity of Sanjay Gandhi National Park to the entire city.
Editorial 2 : To do justice
Context: Judicial delays: Time for reform as highlighted by President Droupadi Murmu
The Black Coat Syndrome
- The President in her address at the two-day National Conference of the District Judiciary, highlighted the problem of judicial delays and called it Black Coat Syndrome.
- She spoke of poor people of the villages being reluctant to go to court, fearing the financial and mental strain of a prolonged judicial process.
- She called for a solution to fix the culture of adjournments.
Longstanding problem of judicial delays
- According to information available on the National Judicial Data Grid, over five crore cases are pending across different levels of the system.
- It is the outcome of a system stretched to its limits, a conjunction of inadequate resources, especially manpower, and a caseload that grows each year.
- Contributing to the challenge are structural issues, such as the large shortfall in the number of judges: At just 15 judges per 10 lakh people, the figure is far less than the 50 judges per 10 lakh recommended by the 120th report of the Law Commission in 1987.
Efforts made to unclog the system
- Addition of more courtrooms.
- An updated e-filing system.
- Strategies like pre-litigation dispute resolution, like the Lok Adalats.
- These steps have hardly made a dent and have proved to be ineffective in reducing the pendency.
Way Forward
- To reaffirm the faith of citizens in courts, a long-term plan is required to comprehensively address the issues that keep cases hanging in limbo for years, as outlined by the CJI D.Y. Chandrachud.
- The reforms should address the shortcomings of the system without compromising its integrity.
- A careful balance is needed between speed and due process, between ensuring that cases are cleared and that justice is done.
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- There is also a shortage of support staff, who are essential to the timely and efficient function of courts.