MANGALURU:
After a brief lull, the issue of trees being felled and being taken
away illegally is haunting the district again. According to sources, a
huge number of trees from the Neerenkimale reserve forest under the
Uppinangadi forest range are reportedly being felled and supplied to the
market since the last few months.
Pictures from the Beedimajalu area on the banks of river Netravathi
in Bajathooru, which houses the reserved forest, provide enough evidence
of the crime. Villagers have told the media that trees are being felled
and transported out of the forest in the pitch dark, and officials have
so far not undertaken any concrete measures to crack the
whip on this racket.
Teak trees are mainly targeted by the miscreants, which are widely used
in the manufacture of boats, doors and windowframes among other
furniture.
A huge number of teak trees are present in the Neerenkimale
reserved forest, and locals allege the involvement of a few people
acquainted with the forest range carrying out these thefts at the behest
of a bigger gang.
Interestingly, media reports claim that the century-old trees are
the main targets, and that the gang takes away mainly the stem, leaving
behind the branches, in order give patrolling forest personnel an
impression that the trees have got uprooted on their own.
Sandhya, range forest officer, Uppinangadi, told TOI that a crackdown
was launched four days ago, and three people were arrested for
illegally transporting trees.
She said teak trees were cut into logs and were being transported
out of the forest without requisite documents. FIRs have been registered
against the trio, and an investigation is under way, she said.