TPDC orders destruction of Jatropha trees in public places
by admin — last modified 2007-02-21 09:43

31 January 2007: With the belated realizations that Jatropha is risky
for people, military authorities have directed that the plants, known
as bio-diesel trees, growing in the area of public buildings in Chin
state, be destroyed.

Zaw Win Thay, chairman of Township Development and Peace Council
(TDPC) in Falam issued a directive to uproot Jatropha trees that were
planted to fence the vicinity of government office departments and
public schools in Falam Township and Thang Tlang Township in Chin
state after two people mistakenly consumed bio-diesel nut and got
intoxicated.

Last year, an officer of the TPDC and a primary student from Falam
were poisoned by Jatropha nuts and both were admitted to hospital. The
latter died.

According to a source in Falam, local authorities in Falam asked
teachers and students to destroy bio-diesel plants in the vicinity of
schools.

"Its nut is toxic. What is worse the soil in which Jatropha trees are
being planted is becoming uncultivable," said a source in government
service in Chin state.

The bio-diesel trees have been planted in areas surrounding 200
schools in Falam Township spread over an estimated 100 acres.

Similarly, the move to destroy Jatropha plants in school areas is also
on in Thang Tlang Township. Moreover, authorities have reportedly
vowed to conduct the same move throughout Chin state this year.

According to a report of the authorities in Chin state, the government
had already planted Jatropha trees on 100,000 acres of Chin state. The
authorities had proposed planting Jatropha trees over 500,000 acres in
the state.

Since early 2006, authorities in Chin state introduced the Jatropha
tree that would generate bio-diesel and forced local people to grow it
on hillsides and around public buildings. -KNG

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estruction-of-jatropha-trees-in-public-places/