Following a report in The Hindu about the Forest Department allegedly granting permission to cut down 1,118 trees in a coffee plantation in Kodagu district, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has ordered a chief conservator of forests (CCF) to probe the matter.
On August 6, The Hindu published an article titled ‘Forest Department Approves Cutting of 1,118 Trees in Kodagu Plantation; Environmentalists Cry Foul’. The article details allegations that the Forest Department authorised the removal of 864 trees of various species and 254 rosewood trees in Nokya, near Siddapura village in Ponnampet taluk in south Kodagu.
Following the report, Mr. Khandre ordered the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) to get a CCF to investigate and submit a report within four days.
“A CCF officer should conduct the investigation and submit a report within four days. If it is found that the landowners cut down trees without proper permission, or that officials granted permission illegally, the department should take strict action against those responsible,” Mr. Khandre stated in the order.
The Cauvery Sene, a Kodagu-based environmental group, has vehemently opposed the alleged decision of the Forest Department to permit cutting of trees. They argue that the area’s proximity to the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, which is designated as an eco-sensitive zone by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, should warrant greater protection.
K.A. Ravi Chengappa, president of Cauvery Sene, welcomed Mr. Khandre’s quick decision to investigate the issue. He told The Hindu, “Kodagu is already facing numerous environmental challenges, particularly from illegal tree cutting. This issue needs thorough investigation. There are major timber mafias working to destroy the environment in Kodagu. We appreciate the Minister’s order to address this particular issue.”
