The Hindu : VS seeks action against forest poaching

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

VS seeks action against forest poaching

From Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM dec. 10. The Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, has urged the Chief Minister to take urgent steps to save the rainforests forming part of the Silent Valley National Park.

In a statement here today, Mr. Achuthanandan said though the Forest Minister had declared that the forest tract at Kakkivani in Silent Valley that was being cultivated by a private individual would be taken back immediately, nothing had happened so far. More startling were news reports that forest poachers had moved into larger tracts like they had done in Mathikettan using bogus title deeds, he pointed out.

The Opposition leader wondered why the Forest Department could do nothing on the former Forest Secretary, E. K. Bharatbhushan's letter of December 12, 2002, on the subject to the then Revenue Secretary, S. Sundaresan. The reports in the media indicated that these poachers had felled trees in about 1,000 acres to cultivate ganja. If the rainforests were to be cleared at this rate, it would result in a major environmental catastrophe, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

He urged the Chief Minister to issue stern instructions in this regard.

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