Keonjhar: The green cover of Keonjhar district is in danger. Deforestation has destroyed the environment and forced animals to enter human habitations here.
The main reason for deforestation here is the use of wood as fuel and for producing tooth sticks. Most villagers and city people use tooth sticks. Many people think that dental diseases can be prevented by using wooden sticks to clean teeth.
Another factor is that most people in Keonjhar district are so poor that they cannot afford to buy toothbrushes and paste, and are forced to use tooth sticks. People cut trees before they fully mature for making tooth sticks.
Tribals collect bundles of tooth sticks from the forest and sell it in local markets. Sal, piasal, karanj and neem trees are used as tooth sticks. Most people prefer sal tooth sticks.
Middlemen buy tooth sticks cheap from tribals and sell it in other states. Forest personnel are not patrolling to check the collection of wood for making tooth sticks and have not launched any awareness programmes to make the public aware of how it can damage the environment.
Earlier, Bansapal, Telkoi, Joda, Jhumpura and Harichandanpur blocks of Kendujhar district had dense sal and teak coverage, but now the forests have been mostly destroyed.
Environmentalists have warned that if preventive steps are not taken by the government, the entire sal forests of Keonjhar district will disappear soon.
PNN
