Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Call to preserve forest wealth

By R. Sujatha

Chennai Aug.11. For the people of the plains, forests are dark, dense areas abounding in vegetation and creatures, big and small, many of them striking intense fear in their hearts. G. Kumaravelu, Chief Conservator of Forests, suggested "walk five km in the forest without protection," prompting the audience at the Lawrence Sundaram hall of Loyola College to break out into laughter.

The Loyola Association of Biotechnology held its first Professor Rama Rao Endowment lecture recently. Professor R. Rama Rao headed the recently rechristened Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology for 20 years. Dr. Kumaravelu was currently involved in the setting up of a gene pool garden in the Nilgiris.

The students found his lecture informative and thought-provoking. The Western Ghats, home to rainforests, acts as a sponge and should be treated as mega aqua guards. They supply water to the Bhavani but much of the rainwater went waste owing to deforestation and there was a need to know how to manage resources. Wet, evergreen forests were a boon and a gift that we should treasure, he said. Felling trees for fuel had been banned since 1976 in the State, but that had not helped remove forest encroachers who used political pressure and threatened the life of forests, which they cleared for cultivation.

"We are one of the 120 million species documented on earth. Yet we destroy all forms of life. When I say the forest cover is shrinking, I mean the density of the forest is falling," he explained. Recalling his efforts, he said it was possible to convert deserts into an oasis of trees.

Tamil Nadu, with 420 people per sq. km, was the second driest State, next only to Rajasthan. One reason for deforestation was the disinterest in agriculture.

The State registered a record rise in townships in 2001 compared to 1981. Agriculture-allied business had fallen drastically since 1993.

"Empathise with wildlife," he said. "In Anamalai alone, we have recorded 18 varieties of amphibians."

Earlier, the principal, V. Joseph Xavier, released the department's newsletter. N. Anand, another alumnus, who is now the director, Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, Madras University, was felicitated.

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