Even as India commits itself at global forums to ambitious targets for afforestation to stave off catastrophic damage to the environment, figures compiled by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change speak of shocking extent of felling of trees across the country for private profit. The figures as recently reported in the national media show that ‘detected’ illegal felling has claimed at least 11 lakh trees in three years across 15 states and two Union territories (UTs).
Another 53 per cent of India has not reported any cases on record, but this is a reflection of shocking apathy and callousness rather than of anything that they could be proud of. It is inconceivable that there has been no illegal felling in these areas. That they are getting away with this no-reporting on such a vital yardstick of impending disaster is in itself shocking in the extreme. It is alarming indeed that a total of 10.8 lakh trees from the 15 states and two UTs have been reported through 1.76 lakh cases to have been felled, at an average of six trees under each case.
However, four states in 2013-14 and three each in 2014-15 and 2015-16 have only reported the number of cases and not the trees lost. These amount to a total of 30,853 cases, and, even if the average of six trees per case is taken, another 1.85 lakh trees would have been lost. The total number of trees lost, therefore, would be a whopping 13 lakh. The nature of cases range from chopping of trees like Sandalwood and Teak, which fetch smugglers a lot of money, to cutting down of jungle trees for housing-needs and razing of trees in urban area, according to the ministry.
Whatever the nature of tree felling, the loss to the environment remains grave. With such a record it stretches credibility to say that India would increase forest cover to 33 per cent of total area by 2030 from the current 21.34 per cent. This is nothing better than a pipe dream even though the country has committed a staggering US$ 6 billion to it over the next decade and a half. It goes without saying that this country needs to wake up to the need to augment its forest cover on a war footing or else we would be bequeathing to our future generations a scary scenario of environmental disasters.
If the damage is to be prevented or staved off substantially, the punishment for illegally felling and auctioning for profit would have to be exemplary in terms of deterrence. There is indeed a huge shortage of staff to guard India’s forests and tree cover and this needs the urgent attention of Central and State governments. The violators are powerful and often organized into mafias so the staff must be actively and effectively guarded from attacks.
There was a recent case of the National Green Tribunal slapping a fine of Rs 15 lakh on a former sarpanch and the secretary of Taparwara panchayat in Nagaur district of Maharashtra and directing the state government to initiate an inquiry against a district forest officer for illegally cutting and auctioning thousands of trees. This was a rare case of exemplary punishment where the fine was 10 times the value of the profit made by the defaulter. One can only hope that there would be more such verdicts and the courts would decide quickly and come down hard on the mafias. More stringent punishment needs to be legislated and special courts set up to punish culprits involved in the illegal felling of trees.
It is indeed incredible how havoc was played with the environment and national wealth was salted away by a notorious Indian brigand and dacoit Veerappan who was active for nearly 30 years in the scrub lands and forests in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and was finally gunned down by the police in 2004.
Veerappan initially developed as a sandalwood and ivory smuggler, killing elephants for the latter. He later started killing those who resisted his activities. He committed his first murder at the age of 17 and his victims tended to be police officers, forest officials, and informants. It is believed that the country lost crores upon crores to Veerappan through his smuggling operations and the forests were denuded irretrievably. The fact that Veerappan could continue his operations for three decades is a sad commentary on not only the inefficiency and corruption of the police in the three affected states but also on the people who gave him shelter and sustenance in the jungles and villages.
There indeed are lessons galore to be learnt from the past and the country can ill afford not to learn them. The rape of the environment by unscrupulous traders must be stopped forthwith. While deforestation and denuding of forests must be defeated, planting of new trees and their proper maintenance must be undertaken with due earnestness.
