Salem forest division to be bifurcated into Salem and Attur divisions

The Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forest has issued orders to bifurcate the Salem forest division into Salem and Attur divisions, which, according to officials, is being done for administrative convenience.

The Salem forest division covered about 1.20 lakh hectares of forest land and has nine forest ranges - Shervaroyan North, Shervaroyan South, Danishpet, Yercaud, Mettur, Vazhapadi, Attur, Thammampatti, and Kalrayan, besides over 10 social forest ranges, Kurumbapatti zoological park, Forest extension centre and sandalwood depots here. For administrative convenience, the department has now bifurcated the existing division.

Following bifurcation, the Attur Division would include Attur, Thammampatti, Kalrayan, Thumbal, and Gengavalli ranges, and Pethanaikenpalayam, Gengavalli and Attur social forestry ranges. It would also include the survey and demarcation range. According to forest officials, about 60,000 hectares of forest land would be managed by the Attur division.

Under Salem division would be Shervaroyan North, Shervaroyan South, Danishpet, Yercaud, Vazhapadi ranges, Kurumbapatti zoo, sandal wood depots, forest extension centres at Sidharkovil and Mettur, Salem, Sankari, Omalur, Edappadi and Vazhapadi social forestry ranges.

The Salem and Attur divisions were separated earlier and were merged in 2018. The officials said the existing forest personnel and other resources would be utilised at respective ranges without much changes and the bifurcation would ease administration of forest areas n the district. An Indian Forest Service cadre officer is expected to be appointed as the District Forest Officer for Attur Division, they added.

A. Periyasamy, Conservator of Forests, Salem circle, said though orders were issued regarding bifurcation of the division, they were yet to receive directions regarding inception of operations in the new division.

Saravanan, a farmer near Attur, said that it was a welcome move as several infrastructure was created for Attur division but were not used to full extent after the merger. Farmers do not have to travel to Salem to find a solution to their grievances now, he said.