Forest department on Monday retrieved 12 kanals of forest land from encroachers during an anti-encroachment drive in Bhadarwah Forest Division (BFD), an official said
A team of territorial forest department and forestprotection force (FPF) constituted by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO)carried out the drive in Kellar range to remove the encroachments from theforest lands.
“During the drive, we retrieved 12 kanals of forestland in compartment 13/K of Gurakha block in Kellar range of Bhalla tehsil,”said DFO ChanderShekhar.
The team faced stiff resistance, however, it succeeded in retrievingthe land from the possession of five encroachers, the DFO said.
He directed the field staff to install the fresh boundarypillars in the area so that the encroachment attempts were prevented in future.
The department is taking all measures to prevent theencroachment on forest land at every cost, the DFO said.
“It is unfortunate that some people even in presentcircumstances of COVID19 outbreak were trying to take advantage of thesituation to meet their vested interests,” Shekhar said.
He said the department has increased the surveillance andhas set up a committee to demarcate the forest land and identify the landgrabbers in Chiralla, Bhalessa, Kellar and Neeru ranges of Bhadarwah ForestDivision.