Former Minister for Forests Benoy Viswam on Monday called for a review of observations regarding forest cover of Kerala in the State of Forest Report 2011 prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
In a statement here, Mr. Viswam said that the report had said that forest cover of the State had come down by 24 square kilometres between 2009-2011. This was wrong.
Kerala had become a model in conservation of forests by declaring 55000 acres as reserve forests between 2006 and 2011. Besides, 1.87 crore trees were planted with public participation. The Centre had bestowed the Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra award twice on Kerala during this period, considering those efforts. The United Nations had also recognised the initiatives in planting trees. Plunder of forests did not take place during this period. Steps were also taken to prevent and control forest fires.
Mr. Viswam said that the FSI report ignored those facts. It swept under carpet achievements that India could present proudly during talks on global warming and climate change.
“FSI authorities should clarify whether the situation in Kerala was similar to that in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand or north eastern States where lakhs of acres of forests were cleared by corporates and mining mafia.”
The report itself said that the reduction in forest cover in Kerala was owing to rotational felling of forest plantations. As per forest working plans approved by the Central government, fresh planting had been undertaken in all such areas. Terming the results of such work, undertaken in accordance with working plans, as reduction of forest cover was not justified. It amounted to ridiculing the vigilance shown by the people of the State in forest conservation, Mr. Viswam added.
