Taking advantage of lockdown, timber mafia chop casuarina cover in Paradip

PARADIP:  The ongoing lockdown and shutdown to combat Covid-19 in the State has given the timber mafia of Paradip a golden opportunity to rob the adjoining areas of its green cover by chopping down thousands of casuarina trees. 

Since Kujang and Erasama blocks are vulnerable to natural disasters like cyclone, flood, tsunami and heat wave, industries and governments have spent crores in plantation of casuarina trees (which act as natural barriers against soil erosion and tidal surge) to protect residents and farming land.

The coastal forest and beach is also popular among picnickers but wears a deserted look for more than a month owing to the lockdown.

Taking advantage of the lax attitude of the forest department in patrolling the areas and minimal human movement during lockdown, local timber mafia, including women, chopped down thousands of tress from the forest for firewood and illegal sale to generate some income.

Locals said around 5,000 casuarina trees were chopped by the mafia in the beginning of the pandemic last year, posing threat to villages like Sandhakuda, Noliasahi and other residential areas of the port town. Even now, they are doing the same, they added.

Forest Ranger, Kujang, Ranjan Mishra said the department has not yet received any allegations on rampant cutting of the trees and forest guards have been deployed in these localities to take stern action against those involved in smuggling.

Environmentalist Utkal Ranjan Mohanty said, “Depletion of thousands of trees by timber mafia during lockdown has posed a major threat to the locals as there is no forest cover to prevent saline water from entering the land.”

However, he said due to lockdown they  have refrained from involving in plantation drive on Environment Day. 

At Paradip Refinery, World Environment Day was observed with the Executive Director and Refinery Head VS Jain emphasising on 3R’s - Reduce, Recycle and Reuse - in every action to have minimal impact on resources.

IFFCO employees, senior officials led by KJ Patel, Senior Executive Director, IFFCO Paradip Unit accompanied by Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board Dillip Kumar Dash joined hands to plant 540 saplings.