CHENNAI: For the residents of Nilgiris, mention of the word eucalyptus evokes mixed reactions. Some love it for beneficial purposes, some hate it for damages it causes to the ecosystem. But none can deny that the tree that covers an estimated 6,000 hectares in the district is an integral part of culture and existence.
Although commercial utilisation of the tree with ‘roots’ in Australia has dwindled, eucalyptus oil has been a hit among tourists for years. Other than general use as wood, there was a time when eucalyptus was used as pulpwood and in making charcoal. These days, only some of the local tribal population are known to be dependent on it.
“Although the dependence of these trees have come down, there are still a large number of tribals who pick up Eucalyptus leaves and take them to the small oil-making industries for their livelihood,” said B Manigandan of the Save Nilgiris campaign, and a native of Ooty.
The major concern over eucalyptus of late has been its detrimental effects on groundwater. These trees grow fast and consume large amounts of water. Those opposed to this school argue that this is a man-made problem, caused by exploitation of groundwater.
According to KT Parthiban, professor and head of Tree Breeding department, Forest College and Research Institute in Mettupalayam, the number of bore wells dug everyday across the State must be kept in mind before blaming eucalyptus trees. Increased use of bore wells may make it difficult to accurately gauge the effects of eucalyptus on groundwater, he reasons.
Ashok Kumar, head of Genetics and Tree Propagation of the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, goes a step further, saying he would promote planting eucalyptus. He adds that his 20 years of research has found nothing to support claims of these trees guzzling ground water.
“There is no scientific backing to support claims that eucalyptus sucks up groundwater. They grow very fast and the harvest is done in 6-7 years. It’s like a wrestler. It needs more food for the work it does,” he said.
Kumar goes on to say that eucalyptus has one of the best ratios of per unit biomass produced to water taken for producing the biomass, whereas trees like acacia consume more water.
Some scientists believe eucalyptus was pushed into the bracket of ‘invasive species’ because it was an exotic species. Parthiban says it is not naturally invasive like Seemai Karuvelam and does not colonise on its own.
“There is an idea that all exotic species are invasive. It is not always the case,” he says.
Actually, much of the ‘invasion’ was a human quick-fix to get extra revenue to the State coffers to meet the growing demands of the population. By the same standards, argues Kumar, wheat can also be termed invasive.
Manigandan’s remark sums up what the common man thinks of the eucalyptus. “The tree has become so much a part of our lives that it is used as oil while taking bath and also in death, where eucalyptus logs are used as funeral pyres.” Love or hate it, this tree is not a villain.