"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
Peninsular India is one among the few regions of the world harboring natural teak forests. Karnataka is one of the states in the region that was blessed with extensive teak forests. Due to centuries of heavy exploitation for the prized wood and large-scale artificial introduction of teak since more than a century, the pristine teak forests have shrunk rapidly, being now confined only to a few pockets, mostly in the protected areas. Natural teak has virtually become an endangered species. The book, Stranger at Home – Teak Forests of Karnataka, attempts at sharing some information about the extensive natural teak forests that existed in Karnataka in the distant past. It also dwells upon the history of the development of teak plantations in the state. For various reasons including policy changes, court directives, lack of adequate funds, manpower, etc., management of these plantations has been a challenging task. The impact of monoculture on the biodiversity of the natural forest had also come in for sharper scrutiny and severe criticism. All these developments have somewhat slowed down the activities related to the management of the plantations, at times bordering on inaction. The book discusses various aspects and challenges associated with the management of teak forests and plantations, suggesting ways and means to forge ahead in the context of overall forest conservation with a special focus on biodiversity conservation.
Dipak Sarmah, IFS (Retd.)
Shri Dipak Sarmah, a retired Indian Forest Service (1977) officer of the Karnataka cadre, started his career in the Western Ghats, serving in the region for more than a decade. He also served in the Government of India as a Deputy Adviser, Planning Commission and as Deputy Inspector General of Forests, Forest Policy, MoEF (1991-1995). Later, he served in several positions in the Government of Karnataka including Secretary (Forest), PCCF (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, superannuating in December 2013 as PCCF (Head of Forest Force). Post retirement, Shri Sarmah has devoted himself to writing on various aspects of forests and forestry of Karnataka. He is the author of many books namely, ‘Status of Forests of Karnataka’, ‘Forestry in Karnataka - A Journey of 150 Years’, ‘Forests of Karnataka – A Panoramic View’, ‘Wildlife Management in Karnataka – A Forester’s Perspective’, ‘Forestry in India during British Era – Karnataka Case-study’, ‘Agroforestry in Karnataka – A Golden Opportunity for Green Growth’, ‘Dry Deciduous Forests of Karnataka – Adding Years to Their Life, and to Ours’ and ‘Forests and Trees of Karnataka – A Journey in Time through Buchanan’s Eyes’. In 2011, Shri Dipak Sarmah was nominated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to the Monitoring Committee to supervise mining operations and the sale of iron ore in Karnataka. He continues to serve as the Chairman of the Committee to date.
