Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has said the Forest department will implement projects worth ₹23.34 crore over the next three years to rejuvenate sandalwood plantations. Surveillance will also be intensified to rein in illegal felling of sandalwood trees and smuggling of sandalwood.
The projects will be undertaken using funds earmarked through the Kerala Forest Development Fund that has allocated a total amount of ₹209 crore for various activities being undertaken across the State.
According to an official release, the government will utilise ₹20.51 crore to preserve the natural sandalwood plantations, ₹1.14 crore for special schemes to nurture the plant species, and another ₹1.82 crore to plant 2 lakh of sandalwood seedlings across 200 hectares of land identified for the purpose in various parts of the State. Sandalwood plantations are currently spread over 3,670 hectares of land in 11 forest divisions in the State.
Mr. Saseendran said the success attained in growing 51,000 sandalwood trees through the Attappady Hills Area Development Society in the Mannarkkad forest division with financial assistance from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation has boosted the State’s vigour to take up sandalwood cultivation.
