Clearing of uprooted trees underway, logs to be auctioned soon, says Mulugu DFO
MULUGU : The Forest department has started clearing the wood from the 7,500 of the thousands of the trees that were uprooted due to a severe squall-like incident across 332 hectares in the Agency area, particularly in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, in September this year.
The uprooted trees, many of which were tall and long-lived, are being converted into logs and transported to local timber depots for storage and eventual auction.
Mulugu District Forest Officer (DFO) Rahul Jadhav Yadav said the freak weather phenomenon caused massive destruction in the area. “About 7,500 trees were uprooted, and our teams have been working to process and transport the logs,” Yadav said.
Eight teams, comprising eight members — five from the Forest department and three expert labourers — have been deployed. The operation began in the second week of December in the forested areas between Medaram to Pasara and Tadvai.
Before cutting the trees, a specialised marking team, comprising five members, numbers and tags each tree. These tags are carried forward to the logs, which are transported to specific licenced timber depots. The logs will remain securely stored under high-security measures until they are sold through an open auction, said Yadav.
The DFO added that the operation serves multiple purposes. Firstly, clearing the damaged trees ensures that the wood is utilised for human needs, such as furniture making. Secondly, leaving uprooted trees in the forest increases the risk of theft by smugglers. “Some trees have been lying on the forest floor for nearly 100 days, which increases the likelihood of re-germination. By clearing them now, we can prevent their misuse,” he noted.
Additionally, the Forest department aims to mitigate the risk of forest fires. “The dry season beginning in January 2025 is likely to see rising temperatures, which could lead to fire hazards if the damaged trees are left unattended,” he added.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of the Forest Force granted permission for this operation. The processed timber will be auctioned, with the date and time to be announced by higher authorities.