Page 1 of 8

Report on Land Clearing at Nine Palms on 1 October 2024

On the morning of Thursday, 19 September, the Nine Palms Forest Stewards discovered an area that

had been cleared without prior notice. The plot in question, identified as IR379/10, covers approximately

half an acre. The cleared vegetation included a few teak trees but mostly work trees and planted and

naturally regenerated local species of trees, shrubs and vines typical of the Tropical Dry Evergreen

Forest (TDEF) biome. The area had a tree cover density of up to 85%.

The clearing was carried out to create a waste dumping site, with a hole already excavated. This plot is

situated in a highly sensitive zone, being directly above a major water catchment area.

The cleared site is located near the highest point of the Rayapudupakam watershed. The first aquifer lies

about 15 meters below the surface during summer. During the monsoon season, the road passing

through this plot becomes a river, filling a large dam. Once this dam overflows, the water flows into four

other dams before reaching the boundaries of Nine Palms. However, overflow only occurs during

particularly heavy monsoons, with most water retained within the area.

The soil in this region has high percolation due to a top layer of sand followed by red earth, a sub strata

of pebbles. This particular plot has been part of Nine Palms' agricultural land for the past 25 years, it was

once used to cultivate local grains and peanuts. The land has been under Nine Palms' care since the

community's establishment in the early 1970s. It remains one of the few fertile plots atop the otherwise

gravelly and clay-rich hill.

Figure 1 Plan to locate it on the map

2024-10-01 1

Page 2 of 8

Figure 2 Entrance of site

Figure 3 Overview of site

2024-10-01 2

Page 3 of 8

Figure 4 Extra context

Figure 5 Size of some of the vegetation removed

2024-10-01 3