Large-Scale Rubber Plantation Not Harmful

A K Krishna Kumar, rubber production commissioner of the rubber board, said here rubber plantation in Tripura would lead to eco-preservation generating biomass, improve soil properties, prevent soil erosion, improve picro-climate, enrich organic matter status and maintain its varied flora and fauna.

The rubber board's clarification comes following a joint letter written to Union minister for forest & environment by 15 voluntary organisations, including the Voluntary Health Association of Tripura (VHAT) in which they pointed out certain possible harmful effects of massive rubber cultivation on the environment of the state.

They were of the view that such large-scale rubber monoculture would lead to `desertification' of the area.

 

The rubber board in its report said, ecological concerns projected in the report are illusions, ill-informed and not scientifically maintainable. It is only a version of a group of people who probably never had occasion to study the impact of rubber cultivation on environment.

Describing as extremely ill-informed criticism, the rubber board rejected the charges that large-scale mono-culture of rubber plantation would destroy the quantity and quality of top soil essential for sustainable agriculture. The rubber board said in Tripura out of the 10,04,910 hectare of land available, 60 per cent was classified as forest. At present, rubber cultivation was confined to only about 20,000 hectare - only five per cent of the geographical area.

The board also disagreed with the Voluntary Health Association of India's contention that desertification in Ghana and Liberia was due to rubber plantation, stating these two countries have very few rubber plantations.

Citing Kerala's example, it said that 11 per cent of the total geographical area was under rubber cultivation there but no ecologist had so far established any problem.

The board clarified that large-scale destruction of forests over the years for shifting cultivation and indiscriminate destruction of forest were the main ecological problems of Tripura.

Apart from ecological impact, rubber can be recommended as the most profitable crop per hectare. Its cultivation would provide employment in rural areas.

In Tripura, 20,000 hectare of plantation would generate 20 million mandays of work during its first phase and will provide continuous employment for about 20,000 people.

The board, however, admitted that law and order problem in the northeast in general and Tripura in particular has affected the activities of the rubber board to a certain extent.