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| Shrinking forests of Kashmir | | | GREEN WEALTH
Who is responsible, and what can be done to undo the damage, writes Prof. N. A. Masoodi.
There is widespread exploitation of our forests. From 1960 to 2005 legal extraction of timber and firewood from our forests has been reported to be 1, 62, 10,500 cubic meters (Digest of Statistics 2004-05). If it is assumed that equal volume of timber has been illegally extracted by smugglers etc during these 45 years. Total volume of timber extracted legally as well as illegally from our forests during last 45 years comes equal to 3, 24, 21,000 cubic meters only. Even with this huge exploitation, we have extracted only 0.85 cubic meters of timber per hectare per year. This rate of exploitation is half of the present annual productivity of our forests. 50 years back the productivity of our forests was 2.34 cubic meter per ha per year. It has now been reported to be 1.65 cubic meters only (Forest Digest 2005). Our commercial forests contain 13, 29, 25,000 cubic meters of growing stock. These coniferous forests occupy 8, 26,939 ha of forest area (Hand book of forest statistics, 2005). Annual yield from these forest at present rate of productivity (1.65 cubic meters per ha) must be at least 13, 64,449 cubic meters. From 1995 to 2005, legal extraction of timber and firewood from these forests has not exceeded 1, 22,620 cubic meters annually. Assuming that equal volume of timber has been extracted illegally by smugglers, total annual extraction does not exceed 2, 45,240 cubic meters against availability of 13.64 lakh cubic meters. How can it be justified that availability of timber has declined merely to 86,400 cubic meters in 2005-06 as reported.
Forest Management principles envisage that forests should sustain yield for future generations as well as meet present needs.
Second argument or excuse of the foresters that overgrazing, population increase and biotic interference have hampered natural regeneration of our forests is merely a myth. But until 1985 forests of Kashmir were managed under prescribed and proved management systems. Immediately after extraction of timber, each beat or compartment was regularly fenced and grazing in these regenerating forests was strictly prohibited for 25-to 30 years. The expenditure incurred on forest fencing had been a major component in our forest budgets from 1960 to 1985. More over conifers like deodar, kale, fir and chil are least liked for grazing by cattle, sheep or goat even at germinating stage.
Although the demarcated forest area of Jammu and Kashmir in its 12 districts (excluding Ladakh and Kargil) is 20,194 sq km. Commercial forests now exist only on 10,154.63 sq km. Since 1951, ten thousand and fifty seven (10,057.78) sq km have been rendered as degraded or uncommercial forests (Hand book of Forest statistics, 2005 page 23). This rate of forest degradation is alarming despite the claim that from 1974 to 2005 State Forest Department and Social Forestry Departments have planted 544.86 million trees on degraded forests and wastelands. These plantations by now should form prominent coniferous forests at places of formation. Just between 1999 to 2005, forest department alone under centrally sponsored schemes, State Sector and District sector development schemes planted 2,84,44,000 ( 2 crore 84 lakh and 44 thousand) trees on 73,516 ha of degraded forests. During the same time period, under joint Forest Management, Social Forests, IWDP and FDA pilot project additional 1,14,182 ha of degraded forests have been rehabilitated by State Forest Department. Similarly, Social forestry Department claims to have planted 2, 72, 39, 440 (2 crore, 72 lakh, 39 thousand 4 hundred forty trees) on 7,277 ha of wastelands from 2000-2005. Thus around 2000 sq km (1, 97,698 ha) of forest land and, 7,277 ha of wasteland has been rehabilitated by plantation forestry during last 5 years alone (Forest Digest, 2005). This huge quantum of plantations is enough to increase forest cover by about 15 % if existing in reality.
All published reports till date divulge that in Jammu and Kashmir dense forests extend over 10,407 sq km, open forests 10,770 sq km, scrubs 2,947 sq km. This data does not include additional 6, 57,803 ha of revenue land under the occupation of forest department. However, in forest digest of 2005, page 30, State Forest Department has now revealed that demarcated forest area of Indian Jammu and Kashmir is only 15,595 sq km with following stratification:
Very dense forests = 1,557 sq.km
Moderately dense forests = 6,326 sq km
Open forest = 7,712 sq. km.
I am of the view that practical forests occupy just 1557 km in this part of Jammu and Kashmir. A forest which does not regenerate naturally or artificially under definite systems of management cannot be classified as Forest. My second perception is that by planting broad leaved species on forest lands previously occupied by conifers will accelerate the degradation. These soils are still having mycorrhiza can help in the establishment of coniferous forests.
Since half of this demarcated forest area has already been declared uncommercial/ degraded by state forest department (CAG Report 2006-07), commercial forests managed under working plan do exist on 7,897 sq km only. This fact is clearly supported from the species wise distribution of growing stock given on page 23, Hand book of forest statistics, 2005 wherein conifer forests have been reported to exist on 8,270 sq km only. Hence, forest cover of J and K (excluding Ladakh and Kargil) is only 18.66 percent even lower than national average of 24.26 percent.
The district wise distribution of J&K forests is manned by Forest Survey of India through landset imaginaries. Their imaginaries include the area of J&K which is under Pakistan and China. Surprisingly, geographical demarcation of districts Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Kupwara, Rajouri, Doda and Kargil do not exist in their imaginaries and interpretations till date.
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