Hundreds of valuable trees, sandalwood felled in reserve forests

CHIKKAMAGALUR, CHITRADURGA: Hundreds of trees, including teak and rosewood, worth lakhs, have been chopped down in the Bhadra tiger reserve, but the Forest Department seems to have turned a blind eye to the issue.

Trees aged over 50 years have been chopped down close to an anti-poaching camp in the Ayyanakere and Gurupura area of Tanigebail in the tiger reserve in Tarikere taluk. Locals have alleged that the Forest Department staff themselves had got the trees chopped down and were planning to sell them.

Some locals, who had noticed that attempted were being made to transport the chopped trees, have lodged a complaint with the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) who has launched a probe into the matter.

Sandalwood trees are being chopped down in the Jogimatti forest and smuggled out.

Meanwhile, in Chitradurga, smuggling of sandalwood trees from the Jogimatti reserve forest continues unabated. Smugglers are marking the sandalwood trees by leaving marks with axes and later transporting them.

Locals have alleged that the Forest Department has done little to control the theft of sandalwood trees and raised doubts that the officials may be hand in glove with the smugglers.