1. While Kerala was fighting its first COVID 19 cases, on 11th March 2020, Principal Secretary of Revenue department passed an order allowing private patta landholders to cut 8 species of trees that were earlier protected under law.

2. The 11th Mar 2020 order, dilutes two preceding laws - Kerala Preservation of Trees Act 1986 and the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth Act in Non-forest areas making it easy for felling large old-growth trees of any species except Sandalwood possible without any permission. 

What does this mean?

 
1. The new provision would mean the decimation of many old-growth endangered species like Kambakam ( Hopea parviflora, Endangered ) , Vella Akil ( Dysoxylum malabaricum, Endangered). Many of them fall under the category of rare, endangered, and threatened tree (RET as per IUCN) species of Western Ghats. Similarly, there are species that are found only in the Western Ghats like Toona ciliata.

2. The 8 species that are dereserved as per the 2020 order include Teak (Tectona grandis), Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), Irul (Xylia xylocarpa), Thempavu (Terminalia tomentosa), Kambakam (Hopea parviflora), Chadachi (Grewia tiliaefolia), Chandana Vembu (Toona ciliata), Vella Akil (Dysoxylum malabaricum).

3. An estimated 1/4th of the total geographical land area of Kerala will be impacted by this tree felling order if other land types like Jamma are included. This would mean 10 Lakh Hectares of land area which would have these 8 species of trees. 

4. An estimated loss of a minimum of 10 Lakh Hectares of over 300-year-old growth trees, the number of trees would approximate to a minimum 50 Lakhs.

5. The contrast is while Kerala is celebrating its first-ever carbon neutral project in Meenangadi, Wayanad district, several lakhs of old-growth Irul and other species will be cleared felled in Wayanad alone because of this order. 

Invitation to Disaster and Disease

1. Kerala is yet to recover from the damages caused by unprecedented floods and landslides for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. 

2.  Habitat loss is one of the primary causes of this spillover effect of viruses that trigger deadly diseases in humans. 

CITIZENS' DEMAND

1. Protect all old-growth trees ( more than 30 years old) outside forest land to stop triggering massive landslides.
2. Enact a law that would stop clear-felling on hill slopes triggering landslides.
3. Strict NO to tree felling on lands that are designated as landslide-prone as per the .kml files published by State Disaster Management Authority.
4. Compensate farmers who are protecting old-growth trees on their farmlands through carbon-neutral initiatives like interest-free loans against standing trees. Providing farmer loans against standing trees are one such option.
5. Stop unleashing new diseases by massive clear felling. Protect biodiversity.