IN THE largest forest protection and anti-encroachment operation carried out in the district so far, a joint team of the Forest Department, Revenue Department and Police Department freed nearly 35 hectares (around 100 acres) of forest land from illegal occupation in Malgaon, Dhunsi and Budra villages under Mulmala Range. Officials said that dense forest areas had been encroached upon over the years by felling large numbers of valuable trees and converting the land into agricultural fields. Several houses had also been constructed illegally on the forest land. During the operation, all encroachments were removed and the land was restored to the possession of the Forest Department. According to departmental records, Bajrang Netam, son of Mansingh and a resident of Kumhari village, along with Chaitanya Kashyap of Bade Kanera Panchayat, allegedly carried out large-scale encroachment on forest land. Authorities stated that both families had gradually expanded their occupation of forest land since 2010. In the process, hundreds of valuable trees were cut down, resulting in the destruction of a significant stretch of dense forest. Forest officials revealed that the accused not only felled trees but also adopted various methods to damage standing vegetation. Trees were reportedly girdled to block the flow of nutrients, fires were deliberately set at several locations, and chemicals were allegedly used to dry and destroy trees before the land was brought under cultivation. The Forest authorities stated that notices had been served repeatedly to the encroachers, directing them to vacate the occupied land.

 

However, despite several warnings, the encroachments continued to expand. Consequently, eviction proceedings were initiated against the concerned families. The Range Officer subsequently submitted a proposal to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) seeking action against the encroachers, following which the joint operation was undertaken. Speaking on the action, South Division Kondagaon SDO Ashish Kotliwar said, “The encroachers were repeatedly served notices, but they failed to remove the illegal occupation. Therefore, with the joint support of the Police, Revenue and Forest departments, nearly 100 acres of forest land have been freed from encroachment.” The action has been widely welcomed by local residents. Villagers said forests are vital for their livelihoods, providing minor forest produce, employment opportunities and environmental security. They demanded stricter laws and stronger enforcement to prevent illegal occupation of forest land and indiscriminate felling of trees. Forest officials described the operation as a strong message against illegal encroachment. They asserted that no one would be allowed to destroy forests or occupy government forest land under any pretext. The process of identifying and removing other encroachments across the district is also being intensified. Meanwhile, officials said large-scale plantation activities would soon be launched on the reclaimed land. The department plans to restore the degraded forest area through afforestation and strengthen the region’s green cover.