Govt. to plant 30,000 seedlings to compensate illegal tree felling

A total of 2,696 trees were felled by misinterpreting a government order

The government has decided to plant about 30,000 seedlings of indigenous species to compensate the environment loss caused owing to the illegal tree felling carried out under the shield of an order issued by the Revenue Department in October, 2020.

A total of 2, 696 trees, including centuries-old rosewood trees in 35 forest ranges across the State were axed by misinterpreting the order.

The government will plant about 30,000 seedlings of indigenous species, which is 10 times the number of trees felled in order to compensate the environmental loss caused due to the tree felling, according to a statement filed by Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary, Forest and Wildlife Department before the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal on March 7.

The court had taken suo motu notice of media reports that alleged that the Revenue and Forest departments had failed in preventing the tree felling in Muttil village, Wayanad. The seedlings will be planted in private, institutional and government revenue land.

Kerala State Biodiversity Board will be responsible for the tree planting through its Biodiversity Management Committees and in association with the local bodies concerned. The drive will be held in June and July and will be primarily focussed in villages, where the illegal tree felling was reported.

The court had asked the authorities to explain the steps taken to realise the loss caused to the government on account of the tree cutting by applying the principles of net present value as observed in T. N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India and Others case related to forests.

The Principal Secretary said in the statement that the principles of net present value as observed in the case and the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change were appliable for forest land.

The tree felling occurred mostly in the pattayam lands under the possession of private individuals, which are under cultivation since 1960s and having status as revenue land. Hence the principles of net present value have not been applied for such trees standing in the pattayam lands till date. The estimate value of the rosewood and teak seized so far is around ₹10.04 crore, it said.