KOCHI : The forest department has cancelled the order allowing Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) to replant exotic pulpwood species eucalyptus in its plantations, following protests from environmentalists.
However, the controversy over the May 9 order has triggered a debate on the department’s role in the degradation of Kerala’s forests over the past few decades.
While the discussion surrounds the monocrop cultivation on the 7,000 hectares of land under the KFDC, the fact that the forest department manages 1,56,204 hectares of plantations is ignored. The department is cultivating 33 species of trees including teak, mangium, acacia, eucalyptus, pine,, albezzia and wattle in these plantations. In an order issued in 2017, the department had announced the decision to remove all exotic species and invasive plants from the forests by 2032. However, the slow progress of the project has invited criticism.
Farmers living in forest fringe areas allege that monocrop plantations managed by the forest department have led to degradation of the forest.
Besides, the spread of invasive species like Senna spectabilis, Hypoestes phyllostachya, Maesopsis eminii, Mikania micrantha, Lantana camara, Eupatorium cannabinum, Siam weed or Chromolaena odorata known as ‘communist pacha’ have led to the destruction of natural habitat for wild animals. The farmers allege that the spread of the exotic species has led to scarcity of food and water in the forest, forcing herbivores to enter farmlands in forest fringes for food. And, carnivores stray into human habitations following the prey, they say.
“Degradation of forest and overpopulation of wild animals are the reason for the rising human-animal conflicts. The department should expedite the removal of exotic species to restore natural vegetation in the forest. Steps should be taken to control wild animal population as per the carrying capacity of the forest,” says Kerala Independent Farmers Association chairman Alex Ozhukayil.
While opposing the proposal for culling of wild animals, environmental activist M N Jayachandran expresses concern over forest degradation. “The forest department is the main accused for the degradation. Steps should be taken to fell trees of exotic species and plantations should be converted into natural forest. We are facing the consequences of the department’s decision taken in the previous decades for commercial cultivation of softwood in the forest. The leaves of eucalyptus, acacia, wattle and other species are inedible and these species destroy natural vegetation in their surroundings,” he said.
Notwithstanding the role of grasslands for a healthy ecosystem and harbouring wildlife, the forest department had formed a Grassland Afforestation Division in Periyar Tiger Reserve in the 1980’s and an assistant conservator was appointed in charge of planting acacia in around 50 sqkm of grasslands. After decades, the department realised the damage it caused and started felling eucalyptus trees. The planting of wattle in shola forests of Munnar was another blunder.
In Wayanad, exotic species planted on the premises of the forest office and along the Sultan Bathery-Muthanga road has now spread across 33% of the Wayanad sanctuary and the department is now uprooting the trees after realising its mistake.
Senna spectabilis (Manja Konna), which was growing in 16 sqkm of the forest area in 2013, spread to 123 sqkm in 2023 posing a threat to the native species of trees. Creepers like Lantana are also destroying the vegetation causing scarcity of fodder for the herbivores.
“We have started uprooting senna and removing other exotic species in the Wayanad forest. Around 2,000 hectares of senna have been removed and we are involving the local community for the extraction. We have around 27,000 hectares of monoculture species and steps have been taken to remove them under the government’s eco-restoration policy in 2021. In another six years, we will remove exotic species like eucalyptus and acacia and convert the plantations into natural forest. We are trying to avail funding from NABARD for the extraction of invasive and exotic species. The Tamil Nadu Papers Ltd has expressed interest in buying the timber, but there is demand to give it to Kerala Paper Products Ltd at a concession,” said a senior forest official.
The officer said around 7,000 hectares of exotic species have been removed under the eco-restoration project. In Munnar, the department has involved local community for removal of wattle. The wood will be used to construct biomass checkdam. Around 2,000 hectares of wattle plantation in Munnar will be converted into grassland.
Merge KFDC with forest dept, says ex-principal CCF
The KFDC was formed for commercial cultivation of softwood and since the government has decided to stop the cultivation of exotic species, it should be merged with the forest department, said former principal chief conservator of forests Prakriti Srivastava, who also served as the KFDC MD.
“When I joined KFDC, it was a completely loss-making organisation. We turned it around in just one year. At the time, we got permission to sell eucalyptus at the market rate. We made a profit of `6.3 crore in the year I left. We decided to stop cultivating eucalyptus and acacia in KFDC plantations. After felling acacia, we plant native species like Melia dubia (Malabar neem), teak bamboo and Vatta (Macaranga peltata). In Munnar, we removed eucalyptus from 500 hectares of land and planted natural species. We ensured restoration of the shola forest and the shola grassland,” Prakriti told TNIE.
“Melia dubia is a very good commercial species, is preferred by plywood industry and is a much better option compared to eucalyptus. It grows fast and can be harvested within nine to 12 years. The only problem is that it is a bit prone to pest. While eucalyptus has a survival rate of 90-95%, melia dubia’s survival rate is 65-70%, which is not bad considering its ecological value,” she said.
Prakriti said she had forwarded two proposals to the government for revamping KFDC. “One was to merge the corporation with the forest department. When I joined there was loot and mismanagement in KFDC. Both KFDC and forest department are doing the same work. The field staff of KFDC have a uniform. The body can be made a wing of the forest department and tasked with the maintenance and felling of trees in plantations. They didn’t consider my proposal for reasons best known to them,” she said.
Prakriti had invited the wrath of the political leadership when she opposed the proposal to allow trade unions in KFDC. “How can we allow trade unions in a uniformed force? They have the same duties as forest staff and are given all benefits of the uniformed staff. I got legal opinion against the move but they implemented it,” she said.
Responding to the controversy over the proposal to plant eucalyptus in KFDC plantations, its MD Georgi P Mathachan said it was a suggestion to ensure the self-reliance of the corporation.
“We are getting revenue through extraction of eucalyptus every year. I submitted the proposal to ensure KFDC’s self reliance in future. There are around 400 workers in the plantations. We give them salary using the revenue from timber sales,” Georgi said.
The KFDC was planning to plant eucalyptus on 50 hectares of land. According to the corporation, the survival rate of eucalyptus is high as it is inedible. Though KFDC has planted native species on 250 hectares in the past four years, their survival rate is less than 50%. The corporation has 10,000 hectares of plantation and it cultivates coffee, tea and cardamom on 3,000 hectares. The KFDC has eucalyptus plantation on 1,500 hectares.
Plantations under KFDC - 10,000 hectares
Tea, coffee, cardamom: 3,000 ha
Eucalyptus: 1,500 ha
Rotation years
Eucalyptus: 9 years
Acacia: 18 years
Mangium: 7 years
Albizia: 7 years
Bamboo: 8 years
Teak: 60 years
Plantations under forest department - 33 species
Area: 1,56,204 ha
Teak: 76,776 ha
Teak and softwood: 13,455.93 ha
Mangium: 2,820.75 ha
Acacia: 7,728.06 ha
Eucalyptus: 6,821.03 ha
Cane: 3,435 ha
Bamboo: 5,231.99 ha
Medicinal plants:3,181.03 ha
Pine: 546 ha
Albizia: 202.29 ha
Anjili: 589.6 ha
Wattle: 2122.57 ha
Cashew: 4,397.16 ha