The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Additional income through timber sales

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 12, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Additional income through timber sales

Staff Reporter

FALLEN GLORY: Trees uprooted by strong winds in Jannaram forest have brought good income to the Forest Department.

ADILABAD: Adilabad Forest department is expecting a ’windfall’ for the second successive season thanks to the additional earnings of Rs. 6 crore through sale of timber from ‘wind fallen’ trees. The department is expecting an equal amount of increase in earnings this year too through sale of timber from such trees, most of it teak. Unexpectedly, the income went up to about Rs. 18 crore from the expected figure of Rs. 12 crore last year.

A quantum jump in the earnings was experienced after November when a large number of trees uprooted by gales were put up for sale. This year also, the earnings are expected to go up to Rs. 24 crore because many wind fallen trees are being continuously being shifted to logging depots.

In the past

The phenomenon of trees being felled by speedy winds especially in the monsoon months is not new. However, last year the incidence was unusually more because of heavy rainfall. Timber from such trees is transported to the logging depots from where it is sold along with the timber seized regularly from smugglers and some quantity of drift wood which the department recovers from rivers.

Termite attack on trees is another reason which weakens the stems of such trees. Such trees are also susceptible to forceful winds.

"The loss of mature trees does not really affect the forest because those will be replaced by new trees. Natural regeneration takes care of such losses", said K. Mahender Reddy, Divisional Forest Officer (logging).

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

Andhra Pradesh