Red sanders smugglers now strike the core of Seshachalam forests
The Hindu
Paradigm shift mooted to protect upper canopy of red sanders
Gone are the days when red sanders smuggling operatives, mostly the workforce from the north-western districts of Tamil Nadu, used to fell red sanders trees in the lower and middle canopy zones of the Seshachalam biosphere spread over Chittoor and Kadapa districts, mostly handling moderate to small sized logs. In the last one year, their strategy turned more audacious, taking them right into the heart of the forests, targeting the upper canopy on the soil-rich slopes. The giant size and arresting quality of the logs seized in recent months has baffled officials of the Andhra Pradesh State Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force. The trend has started presenting a big picture, projecting high-level damage to the forest wealth. The trespassers’ axes have reached the roots of the red sanders trees, believed to be four to five decades old.More Related News