Tree felling banned in view of likely increase in demand for firewood

Minister for Forests and Ecology Eshwar Khandre has banned illegal felling of trees in forests, forest edges, government plantations, government land and roadside plantations. This follows the likelihood of an increased demand for firewood in the wake of the U.S.-Israel and Iran war.

He has asked officials to carry out inspection and launch vigilance activities to prevent tree felling. In a note released on Thursday, the Minister said that in case of such violations, the officer concerned will be held accountable.

On Wednesday, Belagavi-based wildlife conservationist Giridhar Kulkarni urged the State government to prevent illegal felling of tree in the wake of increased demand for firewood due to LPG scarcity.

“In such circumstances, there is a possibility that some households, particularly in rural and forest-fringe areas, may temporarily resort to the use of firewood for cooking which can lead to an increase in fuelwood collection from nearby forest areas. At the same time, there is also a risk that certain elements may misuse the situation as a pretext to indulge in illegal cutting of trees under the guise of collecting firewood,” he said.

“Such increased human movement inside forest areas may also result in several ecological concerns, including trespassing into sensitive habitats, setting fire for ease of firewood collection or clearing of dry biomass and increased chances of human-wildlife conflict. In some cases, such entry into forests may also create opportunities for illegal hunting or other unlawful activities. There is also the possibility of intentional fire being set by miscreants which could further worsen the situation as the period coincides with the peak summer and forest fire season,” he said.

Mr. Kulkarni urged the officers to direct the personnel concerned to remain vigilant to prevent any surge in fuelwood extraction, illegal felling or other associated disturbances to forest ecosystems.

He also pleaded for the necessary arrangements to be made wherever feasible to meet the legitimate fuelwood requirement of local communities through appropriate regulated mechanisms so that undue pressure on natural forests can be avoided.