JEYPORE: From sandalwood plantations in over 10,000 hectares (ha) of land, Koraput district is today left with only 2,000 sandalwood trees.
The precious trees are falling prey to smuggling and Podu (shift) cultivation by local tribals. According to reports, sandalwood plantation was patronised by kings of erstwhile Jeypore dynasty who brought many sandalwood saplings from Mysore in 19th century.
The kings then distributed the saplings to Nayaks (tribal heads) of Nandapur, Koraput, Jeypore and Lamtaput to plant them across the district.
Sources said sandalwood plantations over 10,000 ha were carried out in the early 50s in the forest ranges of Jeypore, Nandapur and Koraput. The aim was to meet sandalwood requirement of temples across Jeypore kingdom.
On special occasions like Rath Yatra and Dussehra, pieces of sandalwood were also provided to the Jagannath temple in Puri and State’s popular Devi shrines as gifts.
There was no smuggling of sandalwood then as the trees were worshipped by tribals. However, after the zamindari system was abolished in 1956, felling and smuggling of the trees began.
Smuggling of sandalwood to States likes Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh became rampant in the 90s. Over the years, the number of sandalwood trees declined as Forest Department failed to contain illegal felling and smuggling.
Every year, around 50 quintals of sandalwood were donated to different temples for rituals across the State from the district but for the last two years, the donation was stopped for lack of an adequate number of trees.
Also, the district forest wing supplied a minimal quantity of sandalwood to Puri temple during the Nabakalebara in 2015.
In a belated move, the Forest Department has now decided to raise sandalwood trees in 2,000 ha of land under Jeypore and Koraput forest divisions in next two years.
PRECIOUS TREES
Every year, around 50 quintal of sandalwood were donated to different temples for rituals across the State from the district but for the last two years the donation was stopped for lack of an adequate number of trees.
The district forest wing supplied a minimal quantity of sandalwood to Puri temple during the Nabakalebara in 2015.
Smuggling of sandalwood from Koraput to States likes Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh became rampant in the 90s.