The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Meet on Merchiston Estate issue today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
ePaper

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Meet on Merchiston Estate issue today

Roy Mathew

Estate management accused of cutting forest trees

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS: Trees cut from the forested area adjoining tea plantations of Merchiston estate and Reserve Forests near Ponmudi.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom and Labour Minister P.K. Gurudasan will convene a meeting of officials and representatives of the workers and management of the Ponmudi Merchiston Estate (Thiruvananthapuram district) here on Wednesday to resolve the issue of notification of the estate as an ecologically fragile area.

The Forest Department has charged a case against the management for cutting forest trees from areas vested in Government early this month while the management complained that forest officials were not allowing the estate to function.

Almost the entire estate was vested with the Government in January 2001 under provisions of Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands) Ordinance of 2000. The vested areas had the same status as forests and cutting of trees from the area was an offence. Originally, the estates in the area were grants from the Travancore Government. The estates had to pay seigniorage on trees taken out of the estates.

At the time of issuing the notification, the Merchiston Estate was nearly defunct. However, the company changed hands over a year ago (while its land remained vested in Government) and operations resumed.

Even after the notification, the Department had allowed the estate to function. Chief Conservator Forests V. J. Varghese noted that the department had issued no directive that the estate should be closed.

Managing Director of the holding company Xavi M. Mathew said that the estate needed to cut fuel wood for its factory. But, the Department maintained that the factory could use diesel. Else, it should grow its own fuel wood.

Court order

Nearly 24 hectares of forests, which was originally in the hands of the estate, had been vested with the Government as back as in 1971, when all the private forests in the State were taken over. But by 1997, the company had obtained a High Court order in its favour. The Government, however, resumed the land using the Kerala Forest Ordinance. Along with that, the Government also notified remaining areas of the estate. This came to nearly 269 hectares. Some part of this area had forest cover while the rest was plantation.

The area that had been vandalised now had an evergreen forest cover though it might have been opened up in the distant past. Mostly smaller trees and bushes had been cut, reducing the canopy density. The objective seemed to be the establishment of continuity with planted areas.

The company had complained to the custodian of the vested areas against the vesting of the estate in March this year. The takeover of ecologically fragile areas other than areas vested in 1971 required approval of a committee and payment of compensation. The Forest Department had issued a notice to the estate only after the ordinance was replaced by an Act in 2005 and framing of the rules. The committee was to inspect the site on May 8 and hear the case of the estate. However, this was postponed in view of the cutting of the trees.

The Government would now have to look into the ecological sensitivity and fragility of the area. It could not ignore the interest of about 450 workers of the estate (including temporary hands). Ponmudi and its neighbouring areas had been undergoing steady degradation over the years. The estates in the area were planning for hotels and resorts in the area which might tend to alter the land use pattern. The Bonacaud Estate, Merchiston and Ponmudi Estates were in the catchment of Thodayar, Kallar and Kallada rivers respectively.

Forest cover in the upper areas was important for water security of the lower riparian areas. A proposal to bring more of the catchment of Peppara dam on the Thodayar under forest cover was under consideration of the Planning Board. The forested areas of Ponmudi and Bonacaud estates had been vested with the Government.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail