ILLEGALLY ALLOWING THE FELLING OF 370 TREES

The Forest Department has accused the Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (IISWC) in Udhagamandalam of illegally allowing the felling of 370 trees on forest land.
According to officials, a contractor had worked for around two weeks in September and removed eucalyptus, wattle and acacia trees, estimated to cost ₹49 lakh, from around 213 acres of land which had been leased to the IISWC, since 1955.
“Based on the conditions of the lease, no removal of trees or other such activities can be allowed without written permission from Forest Department,” an official said.
After an inspection, the District Forest Officer, Nilgiris division, accused a top scientist at the IISWC and another staff member of working in collusion with the timber contractor to fell the trees.
Though the head of the IISWC in Udhagamandalam had been exonerated of direct involvement, the Forest Department contended that IISWC must compensate for the loss incurred by the department.
However, senior IISWC officials said the range officer and other department staff were the ones who first approached them with a request to remove the trees that were uprooted during rain. K. Kannan, IISWC head, told The Hindu that he had sought the permission letter for the removal of the fallen trees and for felling other trees, but the forest staff failed to provide it.

SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB

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