CHITRADURGA: Timber smuggling has become rampant in this part of Karnataka.

Hundreds of trees are being felled and the government departments, it appears, are unaware of it.

The trees are not being felled in the deep jungles or inaccessible areas, but near a village on National Highway 13, which is 10 km from here.

For the villagers of Guddada Rangavvana Halli, tree felling is common thing. The 500-odd acres of land belongs to the Revenue Department. It was listed as barren land and it was developed as a plantation by the Forest Department.

A team of environmentalists visited the area on Monday and found that trees, a majority of them eucalyptus (Eucalyptus hybrid), Kamara (Hardwickia binata) and Acacia (Acasia auriculiformis), cut. The trees are also used as firewood. The entire area on the hillock, which had a huge canopy of trees just a couple of weeks ago, is now dotted with only stumps.

`Not a strange thing'

Villagers said that tree cutting had been intense for some days and pointed to the dried leaves and broken branches.

Speaking to The Hindu, Rajakka and other residents of Guddada Rangavvana Halli, alleged that the looting of forest wealth is not a strange thing for them.

The Forest Department does not even have a watcher here. Any one can walk in with axes and saws and take away the timber, they said.

"Kamara and eucalyptus are very useful. People prefer Kamara wood for agricultural equipment and for making furniture. It is used as firewood, is an ideal raw material for charcoal on a large scale and is also used in brick kilns," they said.

Quality firewood

The trees that are being targeted now must be around 10 years old. These species of trees produce high quality firewood. Around 500 saplings are usually planted in a hectare, say Forest Department sources.

The villagers alleged that forest personnel who have been posted here visit the village only once in a fortnight.

The Government has built quarters for the Forest Department staff, but it is not being used by them.

The team of environmentalists was told that the personnel preferred to live in the city. The village forest committee, which should have been playing a vital role in the conservation of forest in the village limits, is unheard of here.

Probe promised

Speaking to this correspondent, M.K. Muttanna, district forest officer, said he had taken charge of the post only recently and is not aware of the tree felling.

"I will ask my officers to look into the matter. I will take action after receiving their report," he said.

Charge rejected

Some officers tried to generalise the issue saying that villagers are also involved in large-scale tree felling. But the villagers refuted the charge.

"Our needs are few. We may cut trees once a while but not to this extent," they said.

"Bellary Jali," a thorny shrub, is the main source of fuel for the poor. It grows in plenty in the fields, pointed out Virupanna, a villager.

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