The Eucalyptus trees planted in large numbers in the forest and the buffer zones in the Idukki district are becoming a headache for the forest officials.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority in its Management Effectiveness Evaluation(MEE) of Tiger Reserve in India 2010-2011 report has also expressed concern over the Eucalyptus plantations in the grasslands of the tiger habitat in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
According to the officials from Munnar, the Eucalyptus trees are being planted for monetary gains by the big establishments in Chinnar and Kanthaloor area.
Even though the Forest Department has stopped distributing Eucalyptus saplings under the social forestry programme, the trees are being cultivated in some of the plantations in large numbers.
The local people have also raised complaints about the adverse effect of the trees on agriculture.
“The Eucalyptus heavily absorb water in the soil leaving it dry.
This in turn affects the vegetation around.
Most times, the vegetation is cleared to plant the trees.
The increasing number of Eucalyptus plantations around the forest areas is affecting the ecological balance of the area,” the official said.
The MEE report pointed out that the grasslands of the Periyar Tiger Reserve are increasingly falling under the Eucalyptus plantations.
Raja Raja Varma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said that the excessive presence of Eucalyptus trees in the region creates a natural imbalance.
“We have stopped distributing the saplings through the social forestry programme.
The excessive number of trees will lead to a natural imbalance,” he said.
However, he said that the MEE report on the Periyar Tiger Reserve reported a high number of Eucalyptus tree in the reserve owing to the recent conversion of new land into forest land