JOIN USSandalwood trees need protection
It is shocking that about 30 sandalwood trees have gone missing from Bangalore University’s Jnana Bharathi campus in the last two months and the failure of the administration to take preventive measures is appalling considering that timber smuggling in the premises has been going on for decades. This is also a mockery of the tall claims repeatedly made by university authorities about strengthening security measures, while exposing the risk faced by students living on the campus, especially girls. The thickly wooded campus was established in 1973 over 1,112 acres of land, with about 100 acres encroached. Sandalwood has always been in huge demand due to the skewed policy which prevented its commercial cultivation as these trees were considered government property even if they were in private lands. Though sandalwood was deregulated in 2001, it is mandatory to sell the trees only to the government at a fixed price. Besides, private landowners see sandalwood cultivation as a liability as they are subjected to unnecessary legal harassment if the trees are felled by smugglers. Unless this lacuna is set right, the bane of sandalwood smuggling will continue.
The Jnana Bharathi campus which boasts of about 6,000 sandalwood trees has been a favourite haunt for smugglers for long. In 2016, about 28 trees were felled and transported out of the campus. An RTI query had revealed that in 2017, 33 trees were stolen in a matter of five days. Every time such an incident occurs, the university announces enhanced security measures like installation of watchtowers with surveillance cameras and increasing patrolling at night, while on one occasion it even declared that it had procured firearms to secure the campus. The unfailing regularity with which trees are smuggled out points to the involvement of insiders with the possible connivance of the jurisdictional police. The Registrar now says trees will be fixed with chips which will alert the authorities if an attempt is made to chop them, but given the university’s track record of protecting its forest cover, this could be another eyewash.
To some extent, the university is handicapped as the public use the campus as a thoroughfare. A few years ago, when the public entry was restricted, instances of smuggling and other illegal activities had declined. While there is an urgent need to enhance security and surveillance measures, the vice-chancellor should once again consider shutting down the campus for outsiders if he does not receive the required support from the local police to protect the assets of the university.
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