Kalpetta: In the wake of the unchecked spread of Senna spectabilis, the alien tree species in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and other forest divisions of Wayanad, the forest department is set to uproot and sell the timber from the forest zones including the protected wildlife zone Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

It is after many decades that such a massive commercial activity is going to happen in the protected forests. A 1997 Supreme Court directive had banned all commercial activities inside the forests without prior approval from the Central Government which also had established stricter regulations for tree felling and timber trade in forest zones.

The latest move follows the failure of the forest department to entirely check the spread of the alien species, despite uprooting trees and peeling off the bark. The proposal was submitted by Dinesh Kumar, the Wildlife Warden of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The state government has cleared the proposal to allow Kerala Paper Products Limited (KPPL) to be part of the Senna eradication mission by uprooting the trees and buying the timber for Rs 350 per metric ton. 

The timber, thus sourced, would be converted to pulpwood, the raw material for paper production. The fund, thus  mobilized, would be used for eco-restoration activities including Senna eradication according to the project. The proposal also cited the 2022 order of the High Court of Chennai, permitting the Tamil Nadu forest department to uproot the alien trees, sell the timber to paper mills and utilize the money generated for restoration activities.

Minister for Forest and Wildlife Protection A K Saseendran told Onmanorama that the project would be implemented only in a phased manner. ''We will ensure that no massive tree felling will happen though it is the alien and invasive species," he said, adding that the balance of the ecosystem would be maintained.

WWS warden Dinesh Kumar said that a Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) would be drafted soon for executing the Senna removal and forest restoration project to ensure that no harm will be done to the ecology. "Now the government has cleared the project submitted and the details are yet to be worked out,'' he said, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) also would be signed between the KPPL and Forest Department, detailing the duties and responsibilities of KPPL and Forest Department separately, on the commercial activity to ensure transparency.

Meanwhile, the Greens in the district have already registered their concern over the upcoming commercial activities in the protected zones. Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithy president N Badusha said that they are not against the Senna eradication project but are concerned about the damage to the ecosystem while executing such a commercial project on a massive scale in the jungle. “We call for cent per cent transparency in the project and also ensuring a guardian role for the local administrative bodies,'' he said.

Though there are more than a dozen alien species identified in the WWS, the major threat to the native species is from Senna  spectabilis, known as Manjakonna in the local dialect. The presence of these four species alienates both herbivores and carnivore animals from the forest zones, abetting human-animal conflict. Even the grasslands, where the herbivores grazed regularly have been devoured by the fast spreading  Senna  plants, according to experts.