After the State government issued an order permitting the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) to plant eucalyptus trees, the Catholic Church and environmentalists are up in arms against that the decision, saying the move will negatively impact the forests and increase human-animal conflicts in the future.
Father Jins Karakkat, director of Idukki Diocese Media Commission, has alleged that the Forest department’s decision to plant eucalyptus trees in reserve forests exposes its double standard. “The forest fringes of high ranges face a serious threat due to repeated wild animal attacks. If the Forest department continues to plant exotic species inside the forests, it will result in large-scale venturing of wild animals into human habitations,” said Fr. Karakkatt.
According to environmentalists, the eco-restoration policy of the Forest department published in 2021 stated that exotic species threaten natural forests. “Ecological health of forests has deteriorated due to various reasons. As part of facilitating rapid industrialisation, between the 1950s and 1980s, the State’s rich natural forests were cleared for exotic monoculture plantations like eucalyptus, acacia, mangium, wattle, etc. As of now, there are around 27,000 hectares of exotic monoculture plantations and 90,000 hectares of teak plantations in the forests of Kerala. To ensure the ecological and hydrological security of the State, eco-restoration programmes must be undertaken with the participation of forest-dependent communities, which is the need of the hour,” according to the policy.
Former Idukki MP Joyce George said, “On the one hand the Forest department talks about the importance of environment protection, but on the other hand, it allows planting of exotic species such as eucalyptus. This indicates the department’s anti-people policies,” said Mr George.
Environmentalist M.N. Jayachandran explained that permission to plant exotic species in reserve forests would negatively impact the State’s forest sustainability. “The decision is a clear violation of Centre’s forest policy,” said Mr Jayachandran.
According to the Forest department sources, nearly 4,000 hectares of forest land in Idukki district is covered with exotic species. The department implemented eco-restoration projects under the Munnar and Marayur divisions on a trial basis, and it achieved a big success. A stream in a tribal settlement within the Marayur Sandal division in Idukki has sprung back to life after a hiatus of 30 years following the eco-restoration project.
A recent study by the Kerala State Forest Protective Staff Organisation, an association of frontline forest officers, revealed that removing exotic plants from forest areas will help ensure food for wild elephants at Chinnakkanal in Munnar.
