Tribal Association in Erode district wants action against fellers of trees at Bargur Hills

The T.N. Tribal People Association has alleged, in a letter to the Erode Collector, that Benzoin trees in over 100 acres in Bargur Hills are being felled

The Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association has said that rare trees in over 100 acres are being removed at the Alanai habitation in Bargur Hills and it has urged the district administration to immediately intervene and protect these natural resources.

In a letter to the Erode Collector, V.P. Gunasekaran, State Committee Member of the association said that Benzoin trees were present in large numbers on government poramboke land and at lands that were given to individuals on conditional pattas. “But in the last two weeks, trees have been removed using earthmovers and the land is being levelled,” the letter said. He said that persons involved in destroying these resources were unknown, while their motive, possibly to construct luxury resorts or for farming, is also not clear. “It is a planned activity to destroy the forest resources,” the letter said and wanted to know whether any department has given permission for this.

Mr. Gunasekaran alleged that land belonging to tribal people was already being “grabbed by people from the plains”, rendering members of the tribal community landless. “Cash crops and the digging of borewells for over 1,000 feet in the hill areas are turning out to be major disasters for wild animals and the forest,” the letter said and wanted action to be taken against Revenue and Forest Department officials for failing to do their duty.