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www.GOALias.blogspot.comthe stems of the trees. From the leavesit was dripping slowly over branches ofthe shrubs and herbs (Fig. 17.13). Theyfound that the ground was still dry. Afterabout half an hour, the rain stopped.They noticed that the layer of deadleaves over the forest floor appeared wetnow. But water did not stagnate in theforest.Boojho thought that if it had rainedso heavily in his town, it would haveflooded the drains and roads.What would happen if it rains heavilyin your town?Prof Ahmad told them that the forestalso acts as a natural absorber ofrainwater and allows it to seep. It helpsmaintain the water table throughout theyear. Forests not only help in controllingfloods but also help maintain the flowof water in the streams so that we get asteady supply of water. On the otherhand, if trees are not present, rain hitsthe ground directly and may flood thearea around it. Heavy rain may alsodamages the soil. Roots of trees normallybind the soil together, but in theirabsence the soil is washed away oreroded.The children spent an hour at Tibu’svillage on their way back. The weatherof the village was quite pleasant. Villagerstold them that due to the surroundingforest, they receive good rainfall. The airalso remained cool. Noise pollution, toois less because the forest absorbs thenoise of the nearby highway.The children learnt about the historyof the village. It surprised them that thevillages and the agricultural fields ofthat area were created after clearing theforest about sixty years ago. Tibu’sgrandfather told them that when he wasyoung, the village was not as large as itwas now. It was also surroundedby forests. Construction of roads,buildings, industrial development andincreasing demand of wood createdpressure on the forests and it startedvanishing. He was not happy that theforest adjoining their village is notregenerating and is on the verge ofdisappearing due to overgrazing ofanimals and indiscriminate felling oftrees. Prof Ahmad said that if we didthings wisely we could preserve forestsand environment as well as havedevelopment.Children prepared a few pictures toshow the consequences of such anevent.At the end of the visit, Prof Ahmadasked children to sum up theimportance of forests. The childrenwrote: Forests provide us with oxygen.They protect soil and provide habitat toa large number of animals. Forestshelp in bringing good rainfall inneighbouring areas. They are a sourceof medicinal plants, timber and manyother useful products. We must preserveour forests.What would happen if forestsdisappear?: O215FORESTSORESTS: : OURLIFELINE215