36.44 sq km of AP’s forest vanishes
C.R. Gowri Shanker
2012 Visakhapatnam:
Encroachments in the guise of Forest Rights Act, cultivation and smuggling is shrinking forests.
As much as 36.44 sq km of forest area has vanished in the state due to cultivation and illegal felling of trees within a span of one year. Andhra Pradesh forest department has completed collecting data of loss of forest cover during 2010-11 and is set to come out with a detailed report for the year 2012 soon.
Khammam district recor-ded an encroachment of 19.28 sq km forest area, the highest. Warangal, part of Karimnagar district followed with 6.66 sq km and Nizamabad forest circle comprising of Nizamabad and Medak was encroached to the tune of 2.46 sq km.
In coastal districts, Rajahmundry circle comprising of Rajahmundry, Eluru, Kakinada and Vijayawada has lost 1.99 sq km of forest cover. In Visakhapatnam circle (Narsipatnam, Paderu, Srikakulam, Visakha-patnam and Vizianagaram) 1.65 sq km forest area has been denuded. Incidentally, Visakhapat-nam circle recorded encro-achment of 4.54 sq km in 2009 and 2010, immediately after the Act came into being, but it has recorded a drop now after sustained awareness campaign, education and policing.
The total notified forest area in AP is 63,814 km, which accounts for 23.2 per cent of the geographical area.
Khammam has the highest notified forest area of 8,436.94 km and Krishna has the lowest — 664.28 km.
“The main reasons for decrease in forest cover are harvesting (clear-felling) of matured plantations, clearance of bush growth and preparation of land for raising plantations and the fresh encroachments triggered by recognition of the rights of occupation,” P.K. Sharma, additional principal chief conservator of forests, told this newspaper.
Mr Sharma said the data has been compiled with the help of Geo Information System. The data revealed scattered felling in all the regions.
“There is a misco-nception in some quarters that Forest Rights Act em-powers tribals to fell trees. It has to be used for their sustenance. Most encroachments are for cultivation,” he said.
However, the biggest threat to forests is from smugglers. Smugglers are having a field day in some places due to lack of security. Sources said that one forest guard of the department has to man 2,500 hectares to 7,500 hectares of forests, which is a herculean task.
There are more than 30 per cent vacancies in the department. Also, most of the available personnel are aged 45 years and above.
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act has triggered debate with one section insisting that the Act supports forest-dwelling communities, while another section fears large scale destruction of forests.
The Act relates rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other resources. Ever since the Act came into force in 2008, there has been an upsurge in denudation of forests to the tune of about 70 sq km.
C.R. Gowri Shanker
2012 Visakhapatnam:
Encroachments in the guise of Forest Rights Act, cultivation and smuggling is shrinking forests.
As much as 36.44 sq km of forest area has vanished in the state due to cultivation and illegal felling of trees within a span of one year. Andhra Pradesh forest department has completed collecting data of loss of forest cover during 2010-11 and is set to come out with a detailed report for the year 2012 soon.
Khammam district recor-ded an encroachment of 19.28 sq km forest area, the highest. Warangal, part of Karimnagar district followed with 6.66 sq km and Nizamabad forest circle comprising of Nizamabad and Medak was encroached to the tune of 2.46 sq km.
In coastal districts, Rajahmundry circle comprising of Rajahmundry, Eluru, Kakinada and Vijayawada has lost 1.99 sq km of forest cover. In Visakhapatnam circle (Narsipatnam, Paderu, Srikakulam, Visakha-patnam and Vizianagaram) 1.65 sq km forest area has been denuded. Incidentally, Visakhapat-nam circle recorded encro-achment of 4.54 sq km in 2009 and 2010, immediately after the Act came into being, but it has recorded a drop now after sustained awareness campaign, education and policing.
The total notified forest area in AP is 63,814 km, which accounts for 23.2 per cent of the geographical area.
Khammam has the highest notified forest area of 8,436.94 km and Krishna has the lowest — 664.28 km.
“The main reasons for decrease in forest cover are harvesting (clear-felling) of matured plantations, clearance of bush growth and preparation of land for raising plantations and the fresh encroachments triggered by recognition of the rights of occupation,” P.K. Sharma, additional principal chief conservator of forests, told this newspaper.
Mr Sharma said the data has been compiled with the help of Geo Information System. The data revealed scattered felling in all the regions.
“There is a misco-nception in some quarters that Forest Rights Act em-powers tribals to fell trees. It has to be used for their sustenance. Most encroachments are for cultivation,” he said.
However, the biggest threat to forests is from smugglers. Smugglers are having a field day in some places due to lack of security. Sources said that one forest guard of the department has to man 2,500 hectares to 7,500 hectares of forests, which is a herculean task.
There are more than 30 per cent vacancies in the department. Also, most of the available personnel are aged 45 years and above.
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act has triggered debate with one section insisting that the Act supports forest-dwelling communities, while another section fears large scale destruction of forests.
The Act relates rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other resources. Ever since the Act came into force in 2008, there has been an upsurge in denudation of forests to the tune of about 70 sq km.
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