AP govt to promote red-sanders plantation; tightens vigil

Facing resource crunch, Andhra Pradesh government will aggressively promote red-sanders plantation in a big way even as it will install CCTVs to keep a round-the-clock vigil at depots storing this precious wood.
Come October (nursery season), the AP Forest Department will raise red-sander saplings and has targeted to distribute between 1-2 crore red-sander seedlings to people in districts of Rayalaseema region of the state to enable them to grow it in their farms, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Vigilance) Murali Krishna said today.
Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is endemic to the forests of Seshachalam, Veliganda, Lankamala and Palakonda hill ranges distributed in districts of Kadapa, Chittoor, Nellore, Prakasam and Kurnool.

Red sanders has been classified as endangered in 1997 in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red-list. Red-sanders or red sandal wood has lot of demand in International market including China, Japan and Gulf countries and there is large scale smuggling of this precious wood from AP.
"Once after raising the red-sanders saplings during nursery season in October, we will distribute the seedlings from next rainy season to people who are keen to grow/plant it their farms/fields," Murali Krishna told PTI.
The senior official said with these kind of organised activities of distribution and promotion, it would substantially cut illicit trade/smuggling of red-sanders.

"We will make simple procedures for harvesting. Such measures will help in bringing down illicit demand. There is a quota of export of 310 metric tonnes (MTs) of red-sanders every year for farmers," Murali Krishna explained.
In last two months, the forest department along with police have intensified combing operations in Seshachalam forest area and are keeping a strict vigil on illegal felling of the red-sanders trees.
"As many as 10 red-sander smugglers/woodcutters from Tamil Nadu, who attacked the police and forest personnel have been killed in retaliatory firing by police," Murali Krishna said.