Timber mafia axed 705 ‘royal trees’ in 4 districts

Forest dept. investigation and compilation in other districts under way

An ongoing investigation of the Forest Department has found that 705 ‘royal trees’, rosewood and teak are categorised so, on land assigned under the Kerala Land Assignment Rules, 1964, have been axed in four districts in the State. These trees were felled by a timber lobby in Wayanad, Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kasaragod districts misinterpreting a government order. While 161 trees, 101 rosewood and 60 teak, were felled in Wayanad, 509 trees, including 500 teak and nine rosewood, were cut from Thrissur. As many as 11 each huge rosewood and teak were felled in Kasaragod and 13 teak trees in Malappuram, sources said.