ECOLOGICAL TERRORIST – AFFORESTATION AND EUCALYPTUS

“Man not only survives and functions in his environment, he shapes it and he is shaped by it.”

—    Renè Dubos

My first venture into the rural outskirts of Bengal was during my undergraduate days in 2017, when I visited Susunia, in Bankura, for my first formal ethnographic fieldwork. Living in the concrete jungle of Kolkata and belonging to a rural community in Kerala, Susunia gave me a sense of belonging as well as a cultural shock. I suppose the former came from the environment — the beautiful terrain, the pollution-free air, provided a warm welcome to my urban self. The shock probably came from the people — the variety of cultures in a one-kilometre (~0.6 mile) radius, and their way of life was totally foreign. Although I could imbibe the new cultural traits of the people, I felt the need to preserve the environment in my own way — photography. Today being World Environment Day ­2021, I will be providing a few of my most favourite captures of Susunia in this post.

            During the first few days of my fieldwork, I had a chance encounter with a person at the camp where we were staying, which was on the foothills of the Susunia hill. He pointed towards the numerous Eucalyptus trees that line the foothills and said that he helped plant those trees in the Susunia region. At that point of time, I felt that it was a commendable feat — considering the global problem of climate change, of which one major factor was deforestation, and that the region of Bankura and Purulia was drought prone with a very scanty and dynamic rainfall pattern. The region is also home to a number of tribal and schedule caste communities, a Santal tribe settlement being the closest to the hill. These communities relied on wood and dried leaves as fuel for cooking and their main source was the forest that covers the hill. The Eucalyptus trees frequently shed their dry leaves and twigs which are collected by the women of these communities thus, nullifying the need of felling trees for fuel. The Eucalyptus trees have also been among the top 5 most abundant trees in rural areas according to the India State of Forest Report (2019) and has been attributed to the increase in forest cover in West Bengal.

            In 2020, during my preparation for a proposal for an archaeological project, I came across the ill-effects of Eucalyptus plantations. This is where I learnt that even afforestation has its down sides if ill-advised. Shiva et al. (1985) described the problems of afforestation in India which dates back to the apparent “scientific” forestry during the colonial era which has seeped into the forest management in post-independent India which aimed at afforestation towards satisfying the industrial needs of the time rather than the ecological and domestic aspects. The 1952 Forest policy accepted the satisfaction of local needs as its primary objective, yet failed in its enforcement as the locals felt threatened by the forest guards which resulted in the loss of their natural concern for forests. They mention the thrust towards the large-scale planting of Eucalyptus in postcolonial India in order to provide wood fibre for the paper and rayon industries which “seriously undermined the fundamental management of the forests for soil and water conservation as well as for satisfying the basic needs of the people” (Shiva et al. 1985:330). The ambitious social forestry program was implemented to correct the unidimensional forestry and pave the way towards a multifaceted approach by including agricultural farmlands and community participation. But the program propagated the plantation of eucalyptus in lands that were primarily used for food crops, and being a low maintenance crop, the community lost the need for proper protection of their trees which required much care.  Plantation of Eucalyptus meant that there was a constant demand from industrialists which translated into a lower dependence on agricultural crops and that rich farmers profited without the need of hiring poor labourers.

“An analysis of social forestry projects shows a quantitative expansion of this narrow concept of forestry, rather than qualitative shifts in the scientific and management basis of forestry.”

[Shiva et al., 1985:331]

            There are a number of negative effects of Eucalyptus plantation which has made it a controversial crop to be used in afforestation practices. The tree produces a large amount of leaf litter which is rich in oils. This results in toxification of the soil which reduces any sort of plant growth and reduces the yield potential of agricultural crops in its vicinity. The oil-rich leaves of the tree produce a smell and its structure also do not allow the nesting of birds and result in reduced numbers of animals, birds and insects as compared to natural forests. They are also not consumed by cattle and other animals thus are devoid of any fodder value. The frequent production of biomass by the tree and the low rate of decomposition means that the nutrient intake is massive thus leading to a deficit in essential nutrients in the soil which makes the soil unusable after a certain period. This slow decomposition of the tree and its biomass also contributes to low water levels in the soil and thus leading to soil erosion. The oil produced by the tree is highly flammable once in vapour form and coupled with the dry leaf litter that it produces results in a higher frequency of the occurrence of fires.

            In 2003, a Times of India article described that a team of Malaysian scientists, who visited Bankura and Purulia, suggested for the stoppage of Eucalyptus plantation in the region. Although this has been a highly debated topic there has been minimal steps taken towards correcting this fallacious afforestation technique. The need for the inclusion of local and traditional knowledge in environmental policies is a must in order to rectify such ill-advised measures and to find an alternative to the Eucalyptus tree, which has often been referred to as — an “ecological terrorist”.

 

Further Readings

Shiva, V., Bandyopadhyay, J., & N. D. Jayal. (1985). Afforestation in India: Problems and Strategies. Ambio, 14(6), 329-333. Retrieved June 5, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4313179

Ayaz Khan, Muhammad & Hussain, Iqtidar & Khan, Ejaz Ahmad. (2009). Allelopathic effects of Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Camldulensis L.) on germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Pakistan Journal of Weed Science Research. 15. 131-143.

Photographs

The author, Shine M., has completed his post-graduation in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta. His interests lie in theoretical archaeology, social archaeology, prehistory, archaeoastronomy and socio-cultural anthropology.