Ranchi: When environmental lovers raise their voices to logging even one adult tree, as many as 300 Gamhar trees, each of it is almost 16 years old, has been cut down, exploiting gaps in existing laws.
The trees that are cut down on campus from the Institute of Forest Productivity (IFP) managed by the central government in Lalgutuwa who conduct research in forest productivity under the Indian Forestry Research & Education Council (ICFRE).
Gamhar (Gmelina Arborea) is a deciduous tree that grows rapidly found throughout the country and is known for good wood value.
The tree was planted on the IFP campus in 2005-06 to study the growth of tree species in laterite soil.
All trees were cut down in December last year without permission from the forest department.
The Director of the Institute, Dr.
Nitin Kulkarni, admitted that the trees had been cut.
He, however, said, “We don’t need any permission because they are not part of the plantation.
They are in the plot of our research and unless cleaned where we can plant new varieties if there are requirements for other research projects?” According to the five-member panel Regulated by the Supreme Court in February last year, the actual value of the tree.
Calculated by multiplying the remaining life expectancy of the tree with Rs 74,500.
The panel recommends this value by considering the benefits that will be given to nature and mankind, including oxygen costs that will be turned off to the atmosphere.
Increasing the trees lasted for another 50 years and took the average value suggested by the panel, 300 trees hacked on campus institutions must be appreciated by RS 1,11.75 Crores.
The head of the PK forest conservator Verma agreed that tree logging was a big loss for the environment.
“But whether it is illegal, it can be ascertained based on the existing law,” he said, clarifying that in Jharkhand, there were no rules for the protection of trees.
Dfo Ranchi Ashok Dubey said he had no information about logging trees.
“Transit permits issued by the Ministry of Forestry are only needed for transportation and unless they carry trunks trunks elsewhere, there is no violation of the law,” he said.