In the past one month, about 368 wood-based units in Haryana, including bend saw, peeling machine and plywood, established in the state during October 2002 to October 2005, have downed shutters, because of the Supreme Court order of October 30, 2002. | |
| The order states that no state or union territory will be allowed to open new wood-based units without the permission of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court. Moreover, the Supreme Court has asked the Haryana government to send the compliance report by today. |
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| The closure of these units has affected around 20,000 workers who were engaged directly or indirectly with the industry in Yamunanagar district alone. The region has 1,100 wood-based units and contributes 70 per cent to the country's total wood market. |
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| There were no forest policy rules in Haryana up to October 31, 2005, for setting up wood-based units. During this intervening period of October 2002 to October 2005, approximately 368 units of bend saw, peeling machine and plywood were established, after getting permission from the Haryana government. |
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| Talking to Business Standard, Haryana Plywood Manufacturer's Association President Devinder Chawla said, "The state government has already submitted affidavits before the Supreme Court in the year 1997 and 2002, and also before CEC in 2004. There it has taken a stand that since Haryana is an agro-farming state and there is negligible forest, there should not be any restriction for establishment of new wood-based units in Haryana as there is no misuse of forest wood in the state. But, CEC has directed the Haryana government to close all those units, as these are established without prior approval of CEC." |
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| The rationale behind the order of the Supreme Court was to save the degradation of forest and also to save the environment from pollution. Basically this was for north-eastern states, but was extended all over the country. |
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| He added; "The wood species found in the forest of north-eastern states are entirely different from wood species available in plain areas of Haryana. In Haryana, there is negligible forest and our plywood industry is not causing any problem to environment as our industry is non-polluting industry. So there is no use of forest wood in our Industry. We are using poplar and eucalyptus wood, which is grown by farmers in their own agricultural fields. Besides planting these trees in private farm lands, farmers simultaneously plant other crops like sugarcane, wheat, etc, in first three years of crop cycle." |
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| He added the forest green cover in Haryana, which used to be under 3 per cent about 5-6 years ago, had gone up to 8 per cent due to plantation of poplar and eucalyptus trees by the farmers. |
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| Also, as per the Haryana government's report and Survey of India, the availability of popular, eucalyptus and other variety of wood is more than 30 lakh cubic metre per annum whereas the total consumption of wood by the entire wood industry established up to October 31, 2005 is approx 18 lakh cubic metre per annum. |
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| He demanded, "As there is surplus of wood in Haryana, even after considering the consumption of wood by entire industry established up to October 31, 2005, so they should be allowed to run without any restriction." |
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