Sibasankar Panigrahi, a native of Sambalpur district, was recruited in forest service during 1948 and was imparted forestry training from the Indian Forest Colleges in Dehradun and Coimbatore during 1948 -50. He retired in 1983 and served for the State and nation for long 33years as most devoted public servant. His demise on June 23 last is shocking.
The writer met Panigrahi in February 1963 at Chaudwar with other officers of the Forest Department, when eucalyptus, an Australia exotic plant, was introduced in Odisha and a series of plantations were being undertaken to meet the pulp demand of the paper industries.
Now, every timber species and grasses, including sugar cane, are used for paper pulp, but during those days, only a few species like bamboo and Sabai grass were used for paper pulp. But in Australia, the eucalyptus was the prime species which was used as paper pulp since the beginning of paper making technology. Australia is a tropical country like India. The species was very natural in Australian soil.
Not only eucalyptus, but also other Australian species like cashew nut and acacia were used for massive plantation in eroded land. The eucalyptus, acacia and cashew plants were not known to Indian foresters then. All those species were raised in Odisha soil on a trial basis, but the programme was successful due to keen interest and intensive effort of the officers. Panigrahi was posted then as personal assistant (technical) to the Chief Conservator of Forests.
Dayanidhi Choudhury was the first Odisha Chief Conservator of Forests after independence. The writer was posted then in Dalijora range under Athagarh forest division. The Choudwar forests were then coming under the Dalijora range. The divisional forest officer of Athagarh was Sibaram Mohapatra. Who was the batch mate of Panigrahi. Two other batch mates of Panigrahi such as Udayanath Sarangi and Pravakar Pani, who are no more now, had been sent to Australia for studying the Australian species, which can be raised economically in Odisha and in India for sustainable management. The three species, eucalyptus, acacia, cashew could be raised in arid and semi arid areas.
Chaudwar is almost a semi arid area, where plenty of eucalyptus species, including Jatropha, were coming up naturally having little or no economic value. Such forests were converted then into eucalyptus and cashew forests for the uninterrupted efforts of Panigrahi and his colleagues. The eucalyptus has multifarious uses like timber, paper pulp and gum. Its leaves wield oil, which is used as medicines. The species are not grazed by any animal. So such economic species were grown successfully not only in Odisha but also throughout India.
Recently Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik surprised the Union Agriculture Minister for allotting enough funds for raising cashew forests in Odisha and for establishment of cashew processing industries in the State. The cottage industries are now built up locally for processing of cashew nuts in Odisha as the local people collectively raise cashew plantations in village commons.
Cashew nut is also a species of tropical America and a very good cash crop. Eucalyptus, cashew nut and acacia species are ever green species. These are successfully propagated in soil conservation practices in Odisha and also across India. The eucalyptus has huge crown and the crowns of cashew plants always crawl out on the ground.
Similarly, the crowns of acacia protect the soil from erosion. The species are very good life assimilators of carbons and generators of oxygen. Hence, they are very useful in the industrial belts.
During 1972 the Kendu leaf trade in Odisha was nationalized. Nandini Satpathy was the Chief Minister of Odisha then. The writer was then in charge of Talcher forest range. Kendu leaf is used not only in India, but also in many foreign countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri lanka. The Kendu leaf trade is a major source of revenue in Odisha. Balangir district was a hub of Kendu leaf trade. This was the trade of certain business communities like Gujarati Kachhi and Marwari.
There was agent and purchaser system prevailing then. The agent was collecting the Kendu leaves from the field and processing them for sale as per the requirement of the market and after processing he was handing over the same to the purchaser after receiving the price fixed by the Government. The purchaser was also appointed by the Government. The royalty per quintal was fixed for a particular unit of operation. Such type of trade was not fair and transparent. The agent and purchaser were joining hands before a particular unit was being negotiated by both the party. There was no auction sale or tender sale. Everything was going on negotiation. The then Chief Minister Satpathy sought to get rid of the system and nationalized the trade for public benefit.
The State Forest Department was expanded and a separate wing of Kendu leaf trade was annexed to carry out the job of agents for collection of leaves from the field. At the same time, the Odisha Forest Development Corporation was given the responsibility for buying and marketing the produce. A large number of people got secure livelihood by being engaged in the whole process of Kendu leaf trade. Panigrahi was posted as conservator of forests in Balangir circle. He made the transcaton a great success. Balangir Kendu leaf circle was the highest revenue paying one in the State. His honesty, workability and sincerity always gave him success throughout his 33 years of services. The writer had met him a few months ago at his residence in Bhubaneswar.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)