Untapped resource
Sukhomajri's forest was responsible for its prosperity. The villagers protected and regenerated a 400-hectare (ha) tract mainly comprising khair trees (Acacia catechu). In the 1980s, the forest department worked out an informal arrangement under which the village would get 50 per cent of the revenue from the sale of these trees. After the joint forest management programme came into force in 1997, the department cut this down to 30 per cent. The plantation being more than 30 years old, almost all the trees have matured, but they have not been harvested. Harvesting would not only yield immediate cash for Sukhomajri's ailing HRMS, but would also have other benefits. "The forest department says all trees with a girth of 75 cm or more can be extracted. Almost the entire forest has reached that point. Besides a khair tree matures in 25-30 years and our forest is older,' says Gurmel Singh.
The department says there are 8,400 mature khairs worth Rs 1.68 crore as timber, in which Sukhomajri has a 30 per cent share. By another valuation, 100 kg of khair gives 6 kg of katha, worth Rs 700 a kg, meaning the trees are worth Rs 5.88 crore.
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