Timber piled at the Maal reserve forest in Nayagarh district. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, May 23: Cutting down huge trees in the Maal reserve forest near Dimiribadi village in Nayagarh district under the Khurda forest division has sparked resentment among villagers, conservationists and forest rights activists.

While the forest department officials term the cutting of trees as part of a working plan permitted by the ministry of environment and forests and being conducted by the Orissa Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) for timber procurement, truck loads of timber going out of the forest without any check and inquiry has shocked local residents and conservationists alike.

“Throughout the world, organisations involved in conservation are seeking the support of forest managers, local people and other stakeholders to protect, conserve and regenerate forests in the current era of rising temperatures, global warming and climate change due to deforestation, but the felling of trees of such big sizes without the proper scrutiny of the forest department is a serious matter,’’ said ecologist Prasad Dash.

Maal reserve forest is rich in species diversity with secondary forests of tropical moist deciduous type to Orissa’s semi-evergreen type. The forest is home to several rare and threatened birds, mammals like elephants, giant squirrels and Indian bisons. The forest also has several rare epiphytes like orchids and climbers.

“Trees like sal, rai, nembura, moi, sahaj, sina, char, bhalia, khakada and kumbi are seen in large numbers… How such huge trees are permitted to be cut under the working plan is really surprising,’’ said Dash.