Chennai: Tamil Nadu University of Veterinary Sciences (Tanuvas) registrar Narendra Babu said the varsity’s Livestock Research Station campus in Kattuppakkam does not have any sandalwood trees (Santalum album) according to the tree register maintained at the station.In response to a TOI article published on Aug 7, the registrar said that trees that withered or had their side branches pruned, and those that were under electrical poles and water pipelines or were uprooted due to natural calamities, were removed from the premises in accordance with prescribed procedures.Noting that Chengalpet district collector M Veerappan, along with district forest officer and revenue officials, inspected the premises on Aug 7, the registrar said, “It was observed that no standing sandalwood tree was present on the Livestock Research Station campus. However, roots of teakwood trees that fell during Vardah cyclone in 2016-17 were found. The teakwood timber collected during the cyclone was transported to the Madhavaram campus and auctioned off by the university. The auction records and receipts have been submitted to the district forest officer as evidence.”Forest department officials said that since the Vardah cyclone, authorities at the university’s Kattupakkam research station have been clearing teak and other trees and auctioning them without permission from any govt agency or the district administration. “About a year ago, more than 100 tonnes of logs were auctioned by the research station authorities,” said the official. Yet, the tree register maintained by authorities does not mention teak or sandalwood trees on campus.Govt rules say that when cutting trees in any place, including govt office premises, the authorities concerned should obtain prior permission from the district tree committee. The transportation of teakwood or sandalwood logs, too, requires permits to be obtained from the forest department.“If the transportation is done without permits, the vehicles used in the process can be confiscated,” said the source.
