BENGALURU: KTPA to be revised, more felling, transportation permission on cards for farmers to increase the green cover, encourage agroforestry activities and help farmers, on the directions of the state government, the forest department is working on revising the Karnataka Tree Preservation Act (KTPA). This will ease relaxations and permissions to ax and transport more trees.
Already 27 trees are exempted from the list of felling and 42 trees from the list of transit permits required. The list includes species like Eucalyptus, Casuarina, rubber, and Melia Dubai. However, the forest department gets maximum requests to fell trees like Mahogany, Neem, Sisal, and teak.
The aim is to help farmers fell the fully matured trees for commercial gains and undertake more plantations. To ensure transparency the process of seeking felling permission will be included in Sakala, this will also speed up the process.
At present, if permission is needed, then ownership of the land and the tree is to be verified by the revenue department also, after which forest department staffers assess the species and then give permission.
"The process is tedious and time-consuming. This has not just led to illegal felling but has also made farmers resistant to undertake commercial plantations and are thus keen on selling their land as revenue is stocked. To ensure green cover is maintained, increases, and is well protected, the revision is being planned," a senior forest department official told The New Indian Express.
After the revision, section B of the KTPA will not be applicable, where utilisation of the tree locally was a must. At present whether it is one tree or 100 trees in one plot, a series of permissions is needed. If it's a revenue tree species then permission from the assistant commissioner is needed and if it's a non- jungle species then Tashildar permission is needed.
"We want to add more species to the list. The revisions to KTPA will be limited to only private farmlands in 128 dry taluks of the state, other than Malnad and Western Ghat regions. It will not be applicable to urban areas, government lands, and urban private lands," the official asserted.
With this, the department is also pressing for strict implementation of the National Green Tribunal and Supreme Court orders of for every one tree axed, at least ten or two should be planted. The department is also working on increasing the green cover in urban areas by undertaking aggressive plantation and protection drives.