Illegal felling: In 3 years at least 11-lakh trees lost in 17 states of India

Bengaluru, Oct 19: As India discusses afresh its afforestation plans costing an estimated $6billion through the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015, 'detected' illegal felling has claimed at least 11 lakh trees in three years across 15 states and two Union territories (UTs).

Another 53% of India—there are 29 states and seven UTs in the country—has not reported any cases on record, but forest officials say it is impossible that there has been no illegal felling.

According to data accessed from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF), a total of 10.8 lakh trees from the 15 states and two UTs have been reported through 1.76 lakh cases, at an average of six trees felled under each case.

However, four states in 2013-14 and three each in 2014-15 and 2015-16 have only reported the number of cases and not the trees lost. These amount to a total of 30,853 cases, and, even if the average of six trees per case is taken, another 1.85 lakh trees would have been lost. The total number of trees lost, therefore, would be nearly 13 lakh.

Forest officials said that the nature of cases range from chopping of trees like Sandalwood and Teak, which fetch smugglers a lot of money, to cutting down of jungle trees for housing-needs and razing of trees in urban area. "Whatever the nature of tree felling, the loss to the environment remains grave," Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Vigilance) Subhash Malkhede said.

Just two weeks ago, India ratified its commitment to combat climate change and at the root it is the planned afforestation drive, as the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs, point out.

From a 1.4-lakh-km-long tree-line along the national highways to increasing forest cover from 21.34% of the total land to 33%, India has a set of ambitious goals to meet by 2030, and losing trees in a hurry to semi-organised mafias to and unorganised, random felling will adversely affect this.

However, there is a huge shortage of staff to guard India's forests and tree cover, Karnataka's situation is an indication. Malkhede points out: "There is just one person to guard a forest cover of 8,000-10,000 acres. So, we cannot say that the cases reported are the only cases of illegal tree felling."

While he was quick to add that the department is doing everything from employing newer technologies to enhancing the intelligence network, he added: "...Men on the ground is still the most effective way of dealing with this menace."

Another official pointed out that these officers are not just in-charge of trees. "They need to check against illegal poaching, encroachment and forest fires among other duties," he said.

"While these are just trees lost to illegal activities in 47% of the other half can add to an equal number of trees lost, and add to this the losses due to natural calamities like the tsunami (which uprooted lakhs of trees) or floods and the number just jumps," the official said.

From equipping the forest department with enough people and technology to creating awareness about the need for trees, India has a long road ahead in improving its tree cover and forest cover.