Forest department has already spent a bomb on procuring Acacia saplings.
Only 1 per cent of the rainwater is being harvested in urban areas.
Thiruvananthapuram: The top brass of forest department has been studying on alternatives for acacia plantations owing to public protest over its replanting in forest land.
While, water scarcity in areas adjacent to plantations has been cited as a reason for protests, forest department claims it has ‘commitments’ with pulp industry to fullfill.
“Eucalyptus trees were the preferred option for pulp industry. Due to higher yield we shift to acacia. Now people cite this as a reason for water scarcity. Forest department has already spent a bomb on procuring Acacia saplings. Now they are lying unusable due to public protest. We are trying to see whether different types of reeds can serve as an alternative,” said senior forest officials.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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