Around 2,000 trees located in a crucial wildlife habitat have been illegally felled by the Woodbriar Estate Group in Pandalur, it has been revealed.
According to highly placed sources, officials from the Gudalur forest division conducted an inspection of the estate, located in Nelliyalam village a few days ago. They found that in the survey numbers submitted by the estate to the district committee headed by the District Collector, which grants permission for tree felling, only 3,100 trees in the area have been left standing, where there should have been around 4,900 trees.
Officials said that the “shortfall” of 1,800 trees was a conservative estimate and that the number of trees felled on the 30 hectare could be higher.
Conservationists familiar with the habitat said that the trees felled inside the estate, most likely included rosewood, jackfruit and jamun, which are not only highly valued timber, but also an excellent food source for elephants and other wildlife, which use the estate’s lands to cross between the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and the forests of Gudalur and Pandalur.
The sources also said the estate had applied for permission to cut 1,214 silver oak trees citing the need for shade regulation of their plantation crops.
However, during the inspection conducted by the Forest Department, it was found that there were no plantation crops grown in the area which had been clear felled by the Woodbriar Estate.
When contacted, V.C. Rahul, District Forest Officer, Gudalur Forest Division, confirmed that the Forest Department had initiated an inquiry into the felling of trees inside the estate. “The estate adjoins the MTR, and is a crucial habitat for elephants, tigers and other wildlife,” said Mr. Rahul, adding that the department would register a case against the estate for the illegal felling of trees. He also said that the department in the future would not give permission for the felling of trees on land which would fall under the Eco-Sensitive Zone surrounding MTR.
Anthony George, manager (legal), from the Woodbriar Group, denied the charges and said that the trees were cut with valid permission from the district committee.
