The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Vizag Forest Circle to harvest teak, bamboo, casuarina trees

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Sunday, Jan 11, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Vizag Forest Circle to harvest teak, bamboo, casuarina trees

R. Jagadeeswara Rao

Likely revenue from harvest is Rs.20 cr.
Felling prohibited in forests 1000 metres above the sea

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Visakhapatnam Forest Circle is planning to harvest trees, which include the much sought-after teak, bamboo and casuarina, in a big way.

Guidelines

There are certain guidelines in the working plan for final harvesting of teak plantation and according to the Chief Conservator of Forests, P. A. V. Udaya Bhaskar, 17 teak plantations on 61.5 hectares in the Visakhapatnam Forest Circle are fit for felling.

So far work on four plantations, covering an area of 6.5 hectares has been completed. It yielded 400 cubic metres of teak timber and the same is transported to different depots for sale. Depending on the customers choice, the price it can fetch would range between Rs.45,000 to 50,000 per cubic metre.

Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, Mr. Udaya Bhaskar said the whole process of harvesting of teak plants, bamboo culms and causarina is scheduled to be completed by March and the expected volume of yield of teak timber is 1200 cubic metres.

Meticulous process

The likely yield of revenue from harvesting is Rs.20 crore. A meticulous process would have to be followed for felling trees in the forest areas. Felling of trees is prohibited in forests located at 1000 metres above sea level. Right from the plantation which would be at the rate of 2500 saplings per hectare, followed by mechanical thinning at the age of eight, silvicultural thinning at the ages of 14, 20 and 30, till the plant reaching rotation age (this depends upon site quality, topographical features, environmental factors like rainfall etc and can be 60 years), a well established process would be followed. Final marking of the trees would be done just before felling. There would be checks and cross checks at every stage, the CCF asserted.

Bamboo harvest

Bamboo coupes (a coupe consists of thousands of acres of bamboo) are also proposed to be harvested in a big way.

According to Mr.Udaya Bhaskar, ten coupes in Visakhapatnam Division, 15 coupes in Narsipatnam Division and five coupes in Vizianagaram Division are proposed to be harvested.

In all about 16 lakhs of bamboo culms would be available.

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