Post News Network
Jhumpura, August 19: Large tracts of Balibandha reserve forest under Champua range in Keonjhar district have been encroached upon by land sharks under the very nose of the department concerned.
Cases of encroachment are increasing by the day, but the forest department has allegedly taken no action against the encroachers despite repeated complaints by local people in this regard. Tribal-dominated Siriabahal and Hundual villages are contiguous to the forest on one side. In the last four years, some persons, mostly belonging to Trilochanpur in Nischintapur panchayat, have cleared valuable teak wood trees and encroached upon acres of forest land at three places. The residents had filed a complaint with local police in this regard in 2013. Following this, the grabbed patches remained unused. But, the forest department did not take necessary steps to protect the land from further encroachment. Now, the encroachers have cultivated the land and raised crops.
The matter has triggered resentment among the local people, who have constituted a village forest committee and are looking after the forest. Several people of Siriabahal and Hundual including Laxmi Munda, Kisan Munda, Mina Pradhan, Bijay Munda, Pradip Majhi, Bhatal Majhi, Sagar Munda, Pandu Munda, Dhaneswar and Jambira Munda recently lodged a complaint with the office of Balibandh forest section and also staged a dharna there in protest against the department’s inaction.
Champua ranger Srirampada Arabinda Mishra said steps are being taken to remove encroachments from the reserved forest.
