The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Implement directive against tree felling'

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Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Implement directive against tree felling'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 30. The Minister for Forests, Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, said on Tuesday that natural forests in Kodagu have dwindled owing to extension of coffee cultivation in the past 25 years. Coffee, which was grown in 614 sq. km in 1977, spread to 1,197 sq. km by 1997.

Replying to a question by B.K. Chandrashekar of the Congress and Arun Machaiah (Independent) in the Legislative Council, Mr. Nagamarapalli said the French Institute, Pondicherry, has in its report, said the forest cover in the district has reduced. But, the degradation is less in reserved forests and wildlife sanctuaries compared to forests in other districts. Prof. Chandrasekhar warned that there will be a shortage of water in the districts fed by the Cauvery and its tributaries in the next 15 years if degradation of forests is not stopped. Successive governments turned a deaf ear to the Supreme Court order to ban mining by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. though water in the Tunga is polluted because of this. The former Minister urged the Government not to allow sand mining in Kodagu and Maddur and warned that these places will become as dry as Kolar district where the water-table has gone down to 1,000 ft. Kodagu should be declared as a reserve forest or wildlife sanctuary. Using water for irrigation and planting silver oak after felling jungle trees for providing shade to coffee plants should be banned. The directive issued by the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna in 2003 to stop felling trees should be implemented.

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