Forest cover depletes in Krishna district

G.V.R. SUBBA RAO

115.8 hectare of forest land has been cleared and encroached upon in the last two years

• The initiative to raise plantations in forest land also accounts for negative growth
• Attempts to encroach upon forest land traced in Sunkollu and Kantreipadu of Nuzvid range

Not for long:A view of the fast depleting Kondapalli
forest near Vijayawada.— Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

The forest cover in Krishna district is depleting and a negative growth is being recorded, if the satellite images are to be believed. The negative growth has been recorded in two consecutive years of 2010 and 2011.

As much as 115.8 hectares of forest land has been cleared and encroached upon. The initiative to raise plantations in forest land has also accounted for negative growth in the district.

Satellite images point out that there is a decrease of 41.96 Ha of open forest and 4.30 Ha of scrub between 2009 (October-December) and 2010 (October-December).

The State government, in the forest report 2012, noted that a negative change (including scrub) of 27.66 Ha is on account of clearance of jungle growth for raising plantations. Encroachments accounted for 18.6 Ha.

The negative growth was recorded in previous year as well. Comparison of forest cover (satellite data of October 2009) with that assessment year (satellite imagery of October 2008-February 2009), shows a negative change of 150.28 Ha.

There is a decrease of 20 Ha of moderately dense forest, 126 Ha of open forest. Of the total negative change, raising plantations accounts for 53.08 Ha, and encroachments in 97.2 Ha.

A negative growth was recorded in Nuzvid range of Vijayawada division in the district, as 27.66 Ha was cleared for plantation. The Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation is supposed to take up plantation there. Fresh attempts to encroach on forest land were traced in Sunkollu and Kantreipadu of Nuzvid range.

When contacted, Divisional Forest Officer P.J. Banerjee said that the vegetation growth depends on various factors including rainfall and sub-soil moisture.

The clearance of vegetation for raising plantations was a forest management intervention. So, it cannot be considered as loss of forest cover. There were few old encroachments, and fresh attempts were made. Cases were slapped against the encroachers, he said.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/forest-cover-depletes-in-krishna-district/article4444521.ece

Elephants go on rampage, one killed, 7 houses damaged

PTI
DIPHU (Assam): A man was trampled to death and seven houses were damaged by two wild elephants in Assam's Karbi Anglong district.

Two wild elephants went on a rampage in Borbilgaon under Howraghat police station of the district and killed a man besides damaging seven houses and uprooting several trees, officials said today.

Panic prevails in the area as the elephants were still roaming around.

Forest department personnel went to the village and efforts were on to send back the pachyderms to the nearby forest.

The dead man has been identified as Kheru Das.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Elephants-go-on-rampage-one-killed-7-houses-damaged/articleshow/18611705.cms

Afforestation drive to begin soon

V. S. PALANIAPPAN

Tamil Nadu
Coimbatore

Forest officials are busy raising saplings to grow them up to a height of six feet before the exit of summer and the onset of South West Monsoon for the ambitious project to plant 10 crore saplings in 1.43 lakh hectares land spread over 5,000 villages over the next five years.

Tall grown seedlings with tree guards will help protect them from stray cattle.

Forest officials said that the Tamil Nadu Bio-Diversity Conservation and Greening Project, envisaged at an outlay of Rs 84 crore, aims at having 10 crore trees by 2017.

As part of the project, the target for the current year is to have one crore saplings in 1,000 villages at a cost of Rs 15.16 crore.

Officials said 2012 ended with a 45 per cent deficit rainfall, resulting in standing paddy crops in the delta regions of Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tirupur, Pudukottai and coconut crop in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal and Karur bearing the brunt of the dry spell.

Conservative estimates put the extent of drought to 73 per cent in 23,625 sq km.

Officials have identified a number of species for the project including emblica officinalis (Nelli), gmelina arborea (Kumizh), bambuseae (Bamboo), peltophorum pterocarpum (Vaagai), vites negundo (Nochi) and azadirachta indica (Neem).

Plantation is expected to begin when summer exits and traces of South West monsoon begins so as to ensure a high survival rate, the officials said.

The planting of saplings will be done close to wetlands and bird sanctuaries such as Vellode near Erode, Vedanthagal, Vadavur, among others.

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/afforestation-drive-to-begin-soon/article4293763.ece