Forest Department recommends growing of 25 indigenous plant species as part of afforestation drive 

Forest Department recommends planting indigenous tree species over exotic ones for environmental and health benefits in the State.

As part of its afforestation drive aimed at increasing green cover to more than 33% of the State’s geographical area, the Forest Department has recently recommended to the District Collectors, Municipal Commissioners and Zilla Parishad CEOs to raise trees from among a list of 25 indigenous species, and to dispense with the planting of three exotic species considered detrimental to the environment and human health. 

According to official sources, one of those three species — Conocarpuserectus (called ‘Buttonwood Mangrove’) — is currently the subject matter of a PIL (in the High Court), wherein the petitioners prayed for stoppage of cutting of the trees on the ground that there is no scientific evidence that they suck more water out of the soil than any other species and cause the depletion of groundwater, and cause respiratory illness, cold, cough and allergies among human beings during winters. 

These trees are preferred over other species due to their rapid growth even in areas that are extremely saline, and ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions but are considered to be more of ornamental than shade bearing value. 

The other two such species are Alstonia scholaris (‘Devil’s Tree’) and Terminalia mantaly (known as ‘Umbrella Tree’/‘Madagascar Almond’). The Devil’s Trees have robust growth but reportedly show toxic effects and cause gastrointestinal irritations and other ailments in human beings. The Umbrella Trees are expensive to maintain and are vulnerable to destruction in cyclone — prone areas. Both of them have more ornamental value than they are shade — bearing. 

The Forest Department has, therefore, issued an advisory to avoid planting those three species by instructing all the line departments and also NGOs not to raise the above exotic plant species, the ill effects of which purportedly outweigh their advantages. 

Instead, the Collectors, Municipal Commissioners and ZP CEOs have been told to grow in blocks or as avenue plantations the aforementioned 25 species which are indigenous and suit the local climatic and edaphic (‘related to soil’) conditions, not precluding other fruit and flowering trees which are indigenous. 

Some of these 25 indigenous varieties are Azadirachta indica (Vepa), Tamarindus Indica (Chinta), Ficus bengalensis (Marri), Ficus religiosa (Raavi), Pongamia pinnata (Kanuga), Millingtoniahortensis (Aakasa Malli), Mimusops elengi (Pogada), Syzygium cumini (Neredu) and Terminalia arjuna (Tella Maddhi), and Mangifera indica (Mango).