By Harish C. Chaudhary (IFS)
The survival and growth of a tree requires water or sub-soil moisture, sunlight and soil rich in macro and micro nutrients. Meghalaya is blessed with all three in abundance. It also requires protection from biotic and abiotic agents of degradation such as grazing, illegal felling, fire, insects and pest attacks etc. With relatively low human and livestock population, hilly terrain and low road density, biotic pressure on forests in Meghalaya is much lower than in other parts of the country.
Inherent forest productivity of an area is measured by a globally accepted Index, called Paterson’s Climate –Vegetation –Productivity Index, commonly known as CVP Index. The Index takes into account climatic factors like temperature, precipitation, length of growing season, effective sun hour etc. Almost all parts of the Meghalaya have very high CVP Index.
Forests in Meghalaya are home to several important timber species. Notable among them are Teak, Sal, Titachap, Gamari, Nahor, Bogi Poma, Indian hornbeam, Khasi Pine, Makri Sal, Khokon, Teak Badam etc. As per a recent study, productivity of Khasi pine forests in Meghalaya varies from 9.50 cum/ha/yr at poor sites to 22 cum/ha/yr at good sites. The productivity at good sites is about 31 times the national average forest productivity (0.70 cum/ha/yr) and about 10 times the global average (2.1 cum/ha./yr). Even at the poor quality sites, it is about 13.5 times the national average forest productivity and about 4 times the global average forest productivity.
As per a forest inventory undertaken in 2015-17, about 12.49 crore trees having a growing stock of about 4.93 crore cubic meter (cum) are available in community and privately owned land in Khasi Hills. A recently completed similar inventory suggest presence of about 4.82 crore trees having a growing stock of about 5.11 crore cum in community and privately owned land in Garo Hills. Field work for a similar inventory in Jaintia Hills will be initiated shortly. Pending completion of the forest inventory for Jaintia Hills, on the basis of the data for Khasi and Garo Hills, it may be safely assumed that the forest growing stock of community and privately owned land in the entire Meghalaya is about 12.50 crore cum. At the average rotation age of 50 years, as per the globally accepted Von Mantel’s formula for yield regulation, about 50 lakh cum or 17.65 crore cubic feet (cft.) timber can sustainably be harvested from community and privately owned forests and plantations in Meghalaya every year. At the current average stump site rate of about Rs. 200 per cft, value of the standing timber which can be sustainably harvested from community and privately owned land in the State in a year is about Rs. 3,500 crore.
As per a Supreme Court directive, timber can be transported outside North East India through railways only. The Supreme Court has also mandated that timber from community and privately owned forests can be harvested only in accordance with a working scheme duly approved by the Central Government. Preparation of a working scheme for community and privately owned forests requires prior registration of such forests with the concerned autonomous district council. Similarly, harvesting of timber from plantations in non-forest areas, including agro-forestry plantations, requires prior registration of these plantations with the designated authorities.
Only a small fraction of community and privately owned forests and plantations have been registered with the designated authorities. In the absence of registration, as of now only 5 working schemes covering 137 community and privately owned forests having an area of 8,078 hectares are in operation. As per these working schemes 3,123 cum timber of Khasi pine and 10,183 cum timber of non-pine species can be harvested in a year. The same is a mere 0.26 % of about 17.65 crore cft timber which can be sustainably harvested from the community and privately owned areas in the State every year. A major part of raw material, even for the 50 licenced primary wood processing units (saw mills/ veneer mills) in the State having the annual requirement of 2.57 lakh cum timber is met from wind fallen and isolated trees.
Today, nearly the entire timber trade in Meghalaya is managed by the unorganised sector. In the absence of access to the formal national or international timber market, rate of timber in Meghalaya is very low. The Government notified rate for the teak round logs harvested from Government owned land or seized from the forest offenders is Rs. 6,750 per cum or Rs. 191 per cft for girth from 45 cm to 120 cm and Rs. 8,920 per cum or Rs. 253 per cft for girth above 120 cm. The same is less than one twentieth of the rate at which the teak round logs of similar size are regularly auctioned by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department in their timber depot located in Delhi. Same is the case for majority of other timber species.
Abysmally low rates for timber and other forest products and consequent poor economic return, has forced many forest owners to gradually replace forests by horticultural crops and other land uses. Urgent actions are therefore required to extend competitive rates for timber and other forest products to the forest and tree owners to reverse such disturbing trends. The same can be achieved by providing access to national and international legal/formal market, by facilitating harvesting, storage, transit, value addition and trade of timber and timber products in a legal manner by simplification of the regulatory regime in conformity with the existing laws and the orders passed by the Supreme Court and other courts of law from time to time.
About 17.50 crore cft timber which can be sustainably harvested from the existing forests in Meghalaya every year, has the market value of about Rs. 17,500 crore to 20,000 crore even at the lowest possible rate in the legal/formal market. Value of the non-timber forest products such as bamboo, agar, etc., which can be sustainably harvested from the forests in Meghalaya, will also be substantial. Processing, value addition and trade of legally available timber has huge potential to generate income and employment for residents of the State.
Income from forests for the land owners will enhance substantially if they get access to the formal/legal timber market. The same will motivate them to conserve and sustainably manage these forests. It will also attract private and public investment in the forestry sector. Economy, ecology and environment of the State will witness a sea change.
(Author is currently holding the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Working Plan, Research & Training and District Council Affairs, Meghalaya. Views expressed are his personal)