In the wake of production coming to a halt at Mysore Paper Mills (MPM), a public sector undertaking in Bhadravati, environmentalists here have demanded that the Forest Department take back the forest land that it had sanctioned to the firm to develop captive plantations.
The government has leased out 30,000 hectares of forest land to MPM to raise acacia, eucalyptus and other varieties of trees that would provide pulp and other raw material for the factory to produce paper.
The lease agreement between the Forest Department and MPM would end in 2020. Environmentalists had opposed sanctioning of the land on lease basis to MPM on the grounds that cultivation of monoculture plantations by destroying the natural forest would result in ecological imbalance. Ananth Hegde Ashisara, convener of Vrukshalaksha Andolana, an organisation involved in conservation of environment, has alleged that after the production came to a halt at MPM, captive plantations are not being properly maintained.
He said that in 500 hectares of land where the trees were harvested in 2014-15, fresh plantation of saplings has not been taken up so far. In addition to this, grownup pulpwood trees in 2,500 hectares of land have not been harvested. More than two lakh saplings of acacia, eucalyptus and other trees in the nurseries of MPM have not been planted. He expressed apprehension that if the situation continues, captive plantations would be encroached upon and subjected to unauthorised cultivation.
The research conducted by a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Science has proved that soil erosion and human-animal conflict was high near monoculture plantations. The Andolana held public meetings in Jigalemane and Tumari villages located on the fringe of the captive plantations on Wednesday over the issue. The Andolana would launch a struggle demanding that the State government reclaim the forest land from MPM and take measures to convert monoculture plantations there into natural forest, he said. K.G. Sridhar, an environmentalist and a functionary of the Aam Aadmi Party, said that the Forest Department has committed a blunder by allowing raising of monoculture plantations in the Western Ghat region.
Even if production resumes at MPM, it should not be allowed to continue raising monoculture plantations in the Western Ghat region. At present, MPM is purchasing sugarcane from local farmers for its sugar factory. Likewise, the management should promote local farmers to cultivate pulpwood trees and enter into a buy-back agreement with them, he said.
He expressed displeasure that the maintenance of the captive plantations was not consistent with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. In May, fire was ignited in an MPM plantation near Gorogudu and Godarahalli villages by the personnel serving there in the name of removal of weed. It is an unscientific practice, as the fire may spread to the natural forest nearby, he said. It is mandatory to raise 10 per cent natural forest in captive plantations after each harvest of the pulpwood. It is unfortunate that efforts were not made to raise natural forest in captive plantations in Tirthahalli taluk, he said.
The government has leased out 30,000 hectares of forest land to MPM to raise acacia, eucalyptus and other trees
