The government has issued a new order allowing farmers having title deeds to cut all categories of trees except sandalwood grown on the plot.
The order issued by Revenue Principal Secretary A. Jayathilak says action will be taken against officials who prevent farmers from felling trees grown on the land having title deeds. The new order says as per the Kerala Preservation of Tree Act, 1986, cutting trees from the title deed land needed permission from the authority concerned. Another order was issued in 2017 stating that farmers could cut the trees grown by them.
This had created confusion as verification and permission from the Forest Department were needed for cutting the trees and whether permission was required to cut trees such as teak.
The new order says that no permission is required to cut the trees except sandalwood trees grown on title deed land.
As per the new order, the ownership of trees in the title deed land is entrusted with the title deed holder. If an official intervenes, it recommends action against the official. District Collector H. Dineshan on Tuesday said the new order was applicable only to the title deed land. The Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR) is exempted from the purview of the new order. As per the rules governing the CHR, the land is entrusted with the Revenue Department and the ownership of the land with the Forest Department.
Environmentalists have expressed concern that the new order may result in environmental degradation, especially in the high ranges. It will result in felling of trees not only on the title deed land but also from environmentally sensitive areas, they say.
