VOLUME 3, TOPIC 15
A. K. Mukerji1
REHABILITATION OF SANDAL, TREE (Santalum album
L.) THROUGH PEOPLES PARTICIPATION
R.S. Vinaya Rai and G. Kumaravelu1
Santalum album L., endemic to the States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in India, occupies
a prime position in the country's forestry, earning valuable foreign exchange. Its heartwood
yields the renowned sandalwood oil used extensively in perfumery trade. In view of their intrinsic
worth, all trees whether grown on private or public land, belong, by statutory provision, to the State and
its management is governed by stringent regulations. Yet sandal has become a vanishing species due
to wanton, illicit cutting by smugglers who employ ingenious methods to hoodwink the
law-enforcers. Owing to the dysgenic selection practised by the smugglers even the existing population
comprises mostly genetically inferior trees. A sandal estate project mandated to rehabilitate the sandal tree
in an area of 13,968 ha through the active participation of tribals in the adjoining villages has
been implemented in five major sandal growing
districts in the State. The project has a strong
component designed to enhance the socio-economic conditions of the tribals, so that they do not fall a prey
to the inducements of the smugglers. In the short period of its implementation, the project
has considerably defused smuggling activity by severing the tribal-smuggler nexus and has thus
helped rapid proliferation of the sandal population.
Keywords: Santalum albul L.,
endangered species, rehabilitation, people's participation
1 Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam 641 301 , India
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