Deputy Conservator of Forest tackles encroachers, frees 127 acres of forest land
DyCF, Washim, Abhijit Waykos has also said that the encroached land was in the Malegaon range itself. The said land in compartment number E13 (Borgaon) and E16 and E17 (Pimpla) was completely illegally occupied by some group of people.
Nagpur: At a time when encroachment on forest land has become a very old issue, the Washim Forest Department has resolutely confronted such encroachers and freed about 127 acres of greenery in Borgaon and Pimpla villages.
Deputy Conservator of Forest (DyCF), Washim, Abhijit Waykos has also said that the encroached land was in the Malegaon range itself. The said land in compartment number E13 (Borgaon) and E16 and E17 (Pimpla) was completely illegally occupied by some group of people.
“The encroachers did not have any valid documents at all,” Abhijit Waykos said. And he was doing commercial farming for the last about 10-15 years. The freed land is very good for forestry purposes and it is going to help the wildlife too. We are planning to plant trees on the land in the coming monsoon.”
Abhijit Waykos, who recently took over as Deputy Guardian of Washim, discovered that parcels of encroached forest land were prime wildlife habitat, and launched an initiative to clear them. As part of the offensive, a team led by Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Vipul Rathod and RFO Suhas More along with the field staff occupied the ground on April 17. The local police have played an important role by providing security.
Deputy Conservator warned those encroaching on forest
This was ‘E’ category forest land which was with the Revenue Department and had been handed over to the Forest Department in 1982-85. And the encroachers had done farming there earlier as well, because of which no case was registered against them.
“Trenches have been dug all over the country so that they cannot be used for farming again. In the second phase, we are preparing to remove encroachment from 36 hectares of forest land. Action will be taken after the completion of the documentary process,” they said.
The Deputy Conservator has warned those encroaching on forest land that action will be taken under the Indian Forest Act 1927. He has said that action will definitely be taken against those who help the encroachers by giving man and material help.
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