Question: The village elders of the mountains had informed Vanamali about the presence of a precious metal in abundance under a large part of the forest. They pleaded with him to repeal his diktat and permit felling of trees for mining.
Repeal the forest diktat and charge hefty royalty for mining in the mountains
Permit mining in the mountains and enforce rainwater harvesting in the plains
Permit mining in the mountains and begin afforestation in the plains
Continue with the forest diktat in the mountains
Permit limited mining in rotation but maintain the forest diktat in the rest of the mountains
Which of the following sequences of action plans, in the DESCENDING order of their ability to contribute to Vanarajya’s sustainable prosperity, will be the MOST appropriate for Vanamali?
Step 5 is the best step since it will ensure that the benefits of mining are reaped by the kingdom and at the same time, the forests are also preserved. So only options 2 and 4 can be retained. Step 3 is a better course of action than step 2 as it will ensure that the forest cover is not lost while mining. Between step 2 and 4, the former is a better option as it will have the advantages of both mining as well as rain water harvesting. Step 4 will not have the benefit of mining.