Part of everyday fabric, not the villain


For the residents of Nilgiris, mention of the word eucalyptus evokes mixed reactions. Some love it for beneficial purposes, some hate it for damages it causes to the ecosystem. But none can deny that the tree that covers an estimated 6,000 hectares in the district is an integral part of culture and existence.

Although commercial utilisation of the tree with ‘roots’ in Australia has dwindled, eucalyptus oil has been a hit among tourists for years. Other than general use as wood, there was a time when eucalyptus was used as pulpwood and in making charcoal. These days, only some of the local tribal population are known to be dependent on it.

“Although the dependence of these trees have come down, there are still a large number of tribals who pick up Eucalyptus leaves and take them to the small oil-making industries for their livelihood,” said  B Manigandan of the Save Nilgiris campaign, and a native of Ooty.....................Read more

 

Source: The New Indian Express


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