The Kerala High Court, has directed the state government not to further lease out reserve forest lands for cardamom cultivation in Idukki district. Justice K A Abdul Gafoor issued the interim direction on the writ petition filed by the Forum for Legal Research and Social Development Studies, Thripunithura. The Forum had approached the court challenging the indiscriminate leasers of the forest land to private individuals for cultivation of cardamom in the district. It alleged that certain planters had obtained the forest lands for a marginal rent and were indulging in rampant felling of trees.