Chennai: The State Forest Research Institute (SFRI) has procured two machines to help reduce the felling of trees and burning wood waste in the state.
A Bobcat machine which looks like a bulldozer is capable of completely uprooting and transferring a tree. Costing Rs 56 lakh, the machine was put to use for the tree park which is to be inaugurated in August, a forester in charge said. “The trees in the park have been installed from both the Western and Eastern Ghats. It is a prime example of ex-situ conservation,” said R.K. Upadhyay, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Research & Education).
The Bobcat machine, manufactured in the US was brought to the research institute by a dealer in Vanagaram, says Satyamurthy, Deputy Conservator of Forests. “These machines are made to uproot and treat trees with a girth of up to 60 cm,” he said.
Larger Bobcat machines, costing up to RS 5 crores can uproot bigger trees. This may even have ramifications on how land clearance and acquisition is done, suggest officials at the SFRI. “However, uprooting trees should not be looked at as a standalone issue. The biodiversity around the trees, flora and fauna depending on the trees will also be destroyed. Government also needs to take note of this,” said a forester.
The shredder machine is another new addition. Initially, a separate pulverizer needed to be used to break down wood pieces before feeding it into a shredder. Now, a new machine has been procured from Kovai Engineering Works which does both quickly. This machine is being used to make and sell vermicasting. The process began in March and since April, we have been selling it to farmers at a price of Rs 20 a kg.
Since it is 100 per cent organic, it has been selling like hotcakes, says Sathyamurthy, deputy conservator of forests. Moreover, wood waste from trees at the tree park and in the gardens is used in this process. “We also collect waste from sugarcane sellers on the sides of the road and use that too. Bagasse is an excellent product which can be used in vermicasting,”the forester said.
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