Large-scale planting of eucalyptus and acacia trees under a World Bank-aided project in India not only squeezed the rich underground water table in the districts of Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapur, but also affected annual rainfall in the region. Assessing research papers and observations by forest officials, agriculture and geology researchers belonging to various organisations, an expert committee headed by the Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment learned that the tree plantations were responsible for the recent parched condition of these districts. As a consequence, the government has banned planting of eucalyptus and acacia plantations in Karnataka since February 2017. Read the article here:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-state-govt-bans-planting-eucalyptus-acacia-trees-owing-to-impact-on-ground-water-level/articleshow/58712822.cms
