Himachal govt bans felling of mango and five other tree species

Himachal Pradesh government Tuesday banned the felling of mango and five other tree species with immediate effect.

Shimla: In a crackdown against timber and fuel wood smuggling in the state, the Himachal Pradesh government Tuesday banned the felling of mango and five other tree species with immediate effect.

A ban has been imposed on the felling of Mango, Triyambal (Ficus species), Toon (Toona ciliata), Padam or Pajja (Prunus cerasus), Ritha (Sapindus mukorossi) and Baan (Quercus leucotrichophora), a statement issued here said.

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Announcing the ban, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said there would be a total ban on the export of timber and fuel wood of these six species out of the state.

The move is aimed at curbing illegal trade and preserving the region’s valuable resources, he said.

Sukhu added that under the new regulations, all these six species have been brought under the ten-year felling programme, which mandates that these trees need to survive for at least ten years before they are axed.

Any tree belonging to one of these species can be axed only after permission from the forest department, Sukhu said.

The felling of a maximum of five trees in a year will be allowed for domestic purposes, the statement said.

A revised list of permissible tree species has been notified, allowing only thirteen species to be felled with prior intimation to the Range officer, while felling of other species will also require forest clearances, the statement said.

This step will not only safeguard indigenous species but also play a pivotal role in wildlife preservation, the chief minister said.