Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has directed the Forest Department officials concerned to stop the move to plant teak on a piece of forestland at Thirunelly under the North Wayanad forest division.
Mr. Radhakrishnan directed the Principal Secretary, Department of Forest and Environment, on Monday to stop all proceedings to plant teak saplings on the forest area of the North Wayanad forest division or Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary, if the public opinion was against it, office of Youth Affairs Minister P.K. Jayalakshmi said in a release here.
It was reported that the Forest Department had prepared nearly 22 hectares of forest land near Irumbupalam at Thirunelly and close to 14.5 hectares at Kunhome under the North Wayanad forest division for planting mono crops such as teak and mangium.
The environmental organisations and farmers in the area had protested against the move on the ground that mono crop plantations would enhance the mounting man-animal conflict in the area and it would increase the water scarcity in the region. It was reported that close to 100 people had been killed in attacks by wild animals in the Thirunelly grama panchayat alone since 1973.
