The Hindu : Kerala News : UDF panel to study proposal on private sector role in forestry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

UDF panel to study proposal on private sector role in forestry

By Roy Mathew

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 17. The Forest Minister, K. Sudhakaran, said here today that a decision on the Central Government's suggestion to involve the private sector in forestry would be taken only after due consideration at the highest level.

The Minister told The Hindu in an interview that the implementation of the proposal mooted at the recent conference of Forest Ministers in Delhi would need clearance by the UDF Liaison Committee and the Cabinet, as it is a policy matter.

Mr. Sudhakaran said that private participation, if approved, would be in the form of joint venture for raising forest plantations. The Central Government's objective was to achieve 33 per cent forest cover. This, however, would not be possible in Kerala as revenue land was not available for planting forest species.

"So, the Government's efforts will be to increase the green cover through social forestry (in private holdings). The State already has a green cover of 44 per cent, and this has been pointed out to the Centre."

He said that the only other kind of afforestation possible in the State was improvement of the status of degraded forests. Unless the laws are changed, involvement of private agencies for this was not legally possible. Besides, improvement in the status of degraded forests in the State was possible by simply offering protection (from biotic interferences). So, the Government had discontinued social forestry operations in such areas.

He recalled that the State had taken steps to retain forest cover by taking over private forests and ecologically fragile areas through legislation. Ecologically sensitive areas like Kumarakom and Pathiramanal also needed protection. These areas were not under the Forest Department now. However, they could be taken over by the Department.

He said that a decision on the proposed Pathrakkadavu Project near the Silent Valley National Park would be taken only after the consideration of its impact on the park at the highest level. The park had no fringe or buffer zones, and so, any activity near its boundary would affect the core. The Forest Department had already expressed its concerns over this.

He said that no encroachment on forests was taking place at Vagamon. The forest areas had been fenced off on three sides to prevent encroachments. The participatory forest management schemes had helped to prevent organised encroachments. Stakeholders were now protecting the forests while depending on them for their livelihood. The scheme would be strengthened further through the proposed Forest Development Agency in the near future.

He denied that the alienation of tribal lands was continuing in the State. Acquisition of private lands for raising mangrove forests for compensatory afforestation, in lieu of forestlands to be distributed to the tribals, had been completed.

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