Conserving the forest
State sponsored deforestation was totally stopped by 1993 in East Godavari Kondareddy tribes habitat | |||||||
Forcing the closure of wood based industry | |||||||
![]() Prof. Christoph von Furer Haimendorf in Tribes of India: Struggle for Survival, Oxford University Press 1982 |
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The East Godavari Forest working plan proposed the virgin forests of Rampa and Gudem Agencies and an area of 80,780 hectares was earmarked for selection working on 20 year felling cycle. The factory started working from 1976 and worked on 9 of the 20 coupes. Political Economy of State Property and the Commons Forests of the Rampa Country of South India, Prof. D.Narasimha Reddy, University of Hyderabad. Paper presented in the fifth annual common Property conference on "Reinventing the Commons", International Association for the Study of Common Property Bodo, Norway 24-28 May. 1995. |
Tribal youth celebrating the High Court order preventingfelling of fruit bearing trees before Godavari Ply Wood factory, Rampachodavaram - May 1987 |
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TRIBALS TREK TO SAVE GODAVARI DELTA FORESTS - C Lokeswara Rao - Times of India April 30, 1991 One of the common complaints about denudation is that it is carried out with the "protection" of government agencies like the forest department. At one level, the government winks at cutting of trees on a scale magnified several times over the number mentioned in permits. At another level, permits are issued in violation of forest department’s rules or in defiance of the spirit of conservation which ought to gride the department. It is to Sakti’s credit that it has documented such violations and anomalies extensively. Motivated people in many villages to report such vilations to prevent tree cutting in the first place and fought legal battles right up to the high court. One of Sakti’s major campaigns was against a plywood unit which had been allotted 60,000 hectares of reserved forest at a rate of Rs.70 per cubic metre. The open market rate for mango trees, which accounted for 80 per cent of feelings by the unit, was Rs.1,500. SAKTI generated over 300 complaints about trees that had been cut or marked for felling in violation of rules. Felling Rules and Silvicultural practices stipulated as follows. Only matured or dying trees were to be felled. Jeelugu (Caryota urens) palm, trees yielding minor forest produce like tamarind or cane brakes, creepers were not to be touched. A gap of 20 meters from a stream. Cutting a tree was not allowed if it would disturb the canopy. Complaints citing instances of violation of the above rules saved many trees. At one stage the high cour which lifted a stay obtained by Sakti stipulated that fruit trrees should not be cut. Around this time the government of Andhra Pradesh revised the rate charged for trees allotted to the unit. The revision was contested in courts and cutting of trees has been stopped pending disposal of this litigation. |
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MARKING AND FELLING RULES - Forest Working Plan, East Godavari Dist 27.0 Marking should be done for retention and felling separately. It should be completed by February so that felling can be commenced from April onwards. Following rules should be followed while marking.
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Court stalls bauxite mining
Statutory permission stipulated to start works
Legal Correspondent
HYDERABAD: A division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday made it clear that until clearances and permissions from the competent authorities are obtained, no activity for proposed bauxite mining in Visakhapatnam tribal area can take place. The Bench was disposing of a writ petition filed by Dr. Sivarama Krishna of SAKTI, voluntary organisation and another. The petitioner alleged that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered into by the State Government with the Jindal Company is illegal and unconstitutional. The Bench said that the petitioners are at liberty to come to court when there is violation of law in future and closed the writ petition making it clear that unless statutory permissions are obtained no work can take place.
More Articles...
- Extracts from Samata case refering SAKTI Judgement in AP High Court
- Mining operations in Burra Grm Panchayat stayed - The Hindu, August 28-1993
- HC INVALIDATES MINING LEASES - The Hindu Saturday August 28 1993
- IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE : ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD 26-03-1993 PRESENT: : THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SUBHASHAN REDDY W.P.M.P. NO.4786/1993, Mining by Hyderabad Abrasives and mineral ltd, Pedamaredupalli of East Godavari district
FORESTS ARE RESERVOIRS OF WATER AND LUNGS OF OUR ENVIRONMENTS.
SAVE THEM FROM MINING AND DESTRUCTION.
Click here to Bauxite Case: Read full article.