100 years to grow a forest, 25 to strip it bare

The Vellimalai sacred grove in Madurai, India, is facing encroachments and development that threaten its biodiversity. Government agencies, including the ITBP and CRPF, have taken over portions of the 460-acre grove, reducing it to just 110 acres. The Tamil Nadu government plans to construct a prison building on 85 acres of the land. Environmental activists are calling for the grove to be declared a forest and a biodiversity heritage site. The grove is home to numerous medicinal plants, endemic bird species, and serves as a place of worship for local communities.