Nagpur Forest Division (Territorial) consisting of 14 forest ranges has launched a drive to remove encroachments in jungle on mission mode. The proportion of higher cases of encroachments is in North Umrer, Butibori, Kalmeshwar, Khapa, Paoni and Narkhed forest ranges.

During the period of coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, field staff members removed 24 encroachments spread in 41hectares of forest land from six ranges, including 27 ha only in June.

The highest number of 12 cases related to encroachment were in North Umrer and 7 in Butibori, followed by Kalmeshwar, Paoni, Narkhed and Khapa ranges. The forestmen had removed 19 encroachments in 31.04 ha land from six ranges in 2019-20. Hingna, Kalmeshwar and Khapa ranges had recorded major encroachments.

Forest Department has formed a team of forestmen immediately for preparing continuous contour trenches around the land to prevent further encroachments, conducting survey and erecting robust pillars with geo-tagging to confirm safety with GPS reading. At the time of removal, the department used JCB for preparing trenches and other works. It will undertake afforestation programme at the vacated lands.

This was informed by Dr Prabhu Nath Skhula, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Nagpur, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’. He said that the department initiated action against the encroachers undertaking agricultural activities, depending on protected forest, reserved forest or Zudpi jungle. A team of SRPF jawans has been posted at Khapa vulnerable areas to check encroachments and other illegal activities concerning forest and wildlife. As per need, the department would deploy some more teams, he pointed out.

It is observed that people having got forest land under Forest Rights Act (FRA) are further capturing the land in absence of demarcation at boundaries. Non-FRA people are also indulging in such illegal activity and after removing the encroachments, trench-cum-mound (TCM) is made. The department has appointed a private surveyor and deployed field staff for undertaking demarcation works without any loss of time. It has also organised a workshop for the staff members for capacity building in this respect. There are many cases of encroachments due to non-clarity in boundary demarcation in the division. The encroachments would be removed while demarcating the boundaries on priority basis. Forestmen make demarcation work by calling the encorachers so as to avoid clashes, Dr Shukla added.

A proposal urging for separate fund from CAMPA is being submitted shortly to the authorities concerned to carry out different works for removal of encroachments.