Karnataka sees 4 sandalwood smuggling cases a week

BENGALURU: In September, High Grounds police in Bengaluru arrested a gang of eight and seized more than 700kg of sandalwood, estimated to be worth at least Rs 3 crore.

Fencing and deployment of dedicated manpower by the forest department notwithstanding, attempts to smuggle sandalwood in Karnataka is growing, with at least four cases registered every week on average.


The Bengaluru case is just one example. According to forest department data, there were nearly 1,100 cases in five years between April 2017 and March 2022, including 51 in Bengaluru and 10 in Bengaluru Rural.

While 2019-20 saw the most cases, followed by 2020-21, the least cases were registered in 2017-18. Experts reiterated that for every case that is registered, there are likely to be many that escaped the net.

Sanjai Mohan, former principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), who was at the top post until March 2022, said: "Sandalwood smuggling in the state has always been there, but I see two reasons for high cases in the past few years. Firstly, the department has managed to fill several vacant posts with young blood and increased the number of vehicles, which has resulted in better enforcement. Secondly, sandalwood being grown privately has been increasing but not all of them may have the necessary protection measures in place."

Growing sandalwood by individuals was banned until 2002. As on date, individuals can grow the trees but it is illegal to cut and harvest the wood by themselves and sell. The department has retained the right/power to harvest sandalwood after maturity, while the land owner will be paid after the auction of the harvested sandal. Of the 1,085 cases in five years, more than half (539) are in only five districts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Mysuru and Uttara Kannada. All other districts together account for 49.6% of the cases.

Raj Kishore Singh, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) & head of forest force (HoFF), told TOI: "We've been strengthening the existing protection measures. The strategy is to concentrate on sandalwood estates instead on the whole area - around 4 lakh hectares to 4.5 lakh hectares. We demarcate 100-200 hectares of sandalwood areas and establish protection camps to monitor the situation. There are also some other plans."

Singh added that special vehicles and dog squads too have been deployed to prevent smuggling. The state government also has a special scheme - Sirichandanavana programme - aimed at maintaining and protecting the plantations and natural sandal-bearing areas in forests. Among other things, the scheme "provides for rigid protection of the plantation or sandal-bearing area with a strong barricade such as chain-link mesh fence or stone/brick wall, day-and-night watch and ward, soil and moisture conservation works, dibbling of seeds, cultural operations including climber-cutting and canopy-manipulation, fire protection, etc," said the department.

While the data does not include the amount of wood involved or seized, the department, quoting the Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), said: "While the cost of sandalwood cultivation is about Rs 30 lakh per hectare, the returns vary from Rs 1.2 crore to Rs 1.5 crore depending on quality."